succeeding at work - any tips?

[Truktek2]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

It shows enthusiasm and gives the impression that you care. If you really do care, it's even better. What's so difficult to see with that?

Absolutely nothing. But you can show enthusiasm and care only about the job you were hired to do. Maybe I'm wrong in my mindset and maybe someone can change my warped sense of thinking. I am a reasonable person after all.

I've always hated work politics, all the shmoozing and B.S. I hate all the little cliques and gossip that gets thrown around so freely. I prefer to go to work do my job and go home. I don't care about your bbq @ Matilda's house or that your little Timmy came in first at the spelling B. Lol.
I just want to do the job I was hired to do.

I believe it was Munji who said it would be wrong to hire an employee who was 12% less productive than someone else. I could not possibly agree more. On the other hand, I know of no company that would have a problem getting 12% more from you without additional compensation.

I believe it's that double standard that has me crying foul. It's the corporate hypocrisy if you will. What happened to an honest days work for an honest days pay?

That is why I don't think anyone should do more than they were hired to. Again, just my 2 cents. If anyone can tell me why that's unreasonable, I may just change my mind

[iamlowsound]

If you are already doing something that you weren't hired tom chances are much better that you will end up getting paid to do that; then the chances are that you will be given the chance and extra money to do it at the same time.

As part of my yearly review, I wrote my boss a list of things that I have been doing that are outside of my job profile and what profiles those fall into. He really liked that. If I just did what is in my job description, I would be pretty bored at work.

lowsound

[Truktek2]

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

If you are already doing something that you weren't hired tom chances are much better that you will end up getting paid to do that; then the chances are that you will be given the chance and extra money to do it at the same time.

As part of my yearly review, I wrote my boss a list of things that I have been doing that are outside of my job profile and what profiles those fall into. He really liked that. If I just did what is in my job description, I would be pretty bored at work.

lowsound

Theoretically speaking those are all great points, none of which I could argue. I just have one question..........Did you get a raise?

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by Truktek2

Theoretically speaking those are all great points, none of which I could argue. I just have one question..........Did you get a raise?

I haven't had the final part of my review yet, which will happen this month. We will see how it plays out.

lowsound

[Truktek2]

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

I haven't had the final part of my review yet, which will happen this month. We will see how it plays out.

lowsound

Much luck to you lowsound. Wishing you the best.

[Icey101]

Originally Posted by FronTowardEnemy

From my experience (23 years, no degree) I have found that avoiding drama and hard work and dedication takes you a long way. Never say "I will try", if you can't answer someone's question tell them you will find out, dont ever lie. Always treat people with dignity and respect. Also whatever field you are in keep your skills up above par. Integrity is of the most importance. I work for a major world wide company that axes people without question, however I never worry about my job because I am confident, clean, neat, and respectful. Hope some of this helps and good luck!

i'll go another +1

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Indiana Mike

Fraternization between management and employees is a bad idea .

I've seen it in action....usually the lower ranking takes it as a clue that they can relax and screw off ,and develop am entitlement attitude.

The manager then loses control.

And it spirals down from there.

I'm talking about hardcore fraternization, not a yearly Christmas party but going out everyweekend ,regular get together,acting like buddies more often than not.

Correct.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Truktek2

Agree whole heartedly......1-5, but having trouble wrapping my head around 6.

Not looking to start a fight, but I genuinely fail to see why anyone would want to work outside their job description. Why would I want to make my boss' job easier? So he can sit back and take credit? If I'm going to do my boss' job I only see it fair that I have his job. Everyone should give their job 100% no doubt, but nothing more than that. Otherwise it's just being taken advantage of in my book.

I also agree with Indiana Mike who said keep business and pleasure seperate. Don't do business with friends, don't socialize with co-workers.

Oh, and don't kiss @ss. It's pathetic, and anyone who does it should be taken into an open field and stoned to death.

By making my job easier, I don't mean doing any part of my job. I mean being a self-starter that doesn't require constant management. It just means that the employee does his job well without my involvement. That makes my job easier, and the employee will get rewarded for it. I don't like to go around cleaning up interpersonal messes created by employees. By making your boss's job easier (in that way) you increase your own job security.

I had a long term clerical employee who is mildly abrasive (he considers himself a free-thinking rebel) and takes an occasional fine-tuning. However, he shows up on time every single day and does his job very well. If someone in his department is out sick, he steps in and does part of their job, too. It makes the fine-tuning (private talks) worth it. People who really care about the company don't ever say, "It's not in my job description." I was fortunate to run a company in which almost all of the employees saw the importance of getting the job done, whatever it took.

Here's another way of looking at it.

Originally Posted by Fishheadjoe

Your job, regardless of what that occupation is, is to make your boss look good. It's pretty simple really. You make your boss look good by meeting deadlines, saving the company time, process and money. Those are the only things that matter in the working world.
Make yourself indespensible by making your boss look good and most times, you won't have to worry. Sure, there are situations where your destiny is out of your control, but if you meet expectations or exceed them, they will follow you where ever you go.

[Axtman]

Trutek2,

You will be the first one laid off. I mean no offense but I am serious. I worked with a LOT of hardworking nonsense people who got the "axe". These were very competent and committed people who showed up, did their job, and went home. They usually had lives outside of the company so typically could not attend many company functions. They did not make any waves or trouble. They were often overlooked. When you mentally went around and counted people you often forgot them. "Oh yeah Sally, I forgot that she works in the back cubicle."

Yet on the other hand I have seen very incompetent people who make a lot of waves, and usually trouble, keep their jobs. For example I know two idiots who pissed of the clients so much that the clients told my boss to take them off the job and replace them. Yup! Both are still working there. Another idiot project manager got the firm into a lawsuit and still kept his job. Then there is the IT guy who is so bad that people fix their own computers (even the boss will call the old IT guy working at another company) instead of dealing with that idiot. Then there was the receptionist that like to insult and put down people including anyone that walked through the front door. I could go on and on.

Why are these people still employed?

[jmattbassplaya]

Honestly, I've heard enough bad stuff about the corporate workplace that if (more likely when lol) my music thing doesn't work out I'll probably end up starting my own company. I'd rather not deal with any of this workplace politics nonsense.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Axtman

Trutek2,

You will be the first one laid off. I mean no offense but I am serious. I worked with a LOT of hardworking nonsense people who got the "axe". These were very competent and committed people who showed up, did their job, and went home. They usually had lives outside of the company so typically could not attend many company functions. They did not make any waves or trouble. They were often overlooked. When you mentally went around and counted people you often forgot them. "Oh yeah Sally, I forgot that she works in the back cubicle."

Yet on the other hand I have seen very incompetent people who make a lot of waves, and usually trouble, keep their jobs. For example I know two idiots who pissed of the clients so much that the clients told my boss to take them off the job and replace them. Yup! Both are still working there. Another idiot project manager got the firm into a lawsuit and still kept his job. Then there is the IT guy who is so bad that people fix their own computers (even the boss will call the old IT guy working at another company) instead of dealing with that idiot. Then there was the receptionist that like to insult and put down people including anyone that walked through the front door. I could go on and on.

Why are these people still employed?

Because their bosses are idiots.

[Truktek2]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

By making my job easier, I don't mean doing any part of my job. I mean being a self-starter that doesn't require constant management. It just means that the employee does his job well without my involvement. That makes my job easier, and the employee will get rewarded for it. I don't like to go around cleaning up interpersonal messes created by employees. By making your boss's job easier (in that way) you increase your own job security.

I had a long term clerical employee who is mildly abrasive (he considers himself a free-thinking rebel) and takes an occasional fine-tuning. However, he shows up on time every single day and does his job very well. If someone in his department is out sick, he steps in and does part of their job, too. It makes the fine-tuning (private talks) worth it. People who really care about the company don't ever say, "It's not in my job description." I was fortunate to run a company in which almost all of the employees saw the importance of getting the job done, whatever it took.

Here's another way of looking at it.

I guess what you consider making your job easier, is what I consider just doing my job. That should be a given.

Let me give you a different take. About 4 years ago my wife worked for pharmaceutical company. She was about 7 months pregnant and still managed to get to work on time. She worked her butt off,even doing things she didn't have to do, without a complaint. One day, the guy in the mailroom called in sick and she was asked to sub for him that day. Normally she wouldn't take issue with it, but that would require her to stand all day and pick up boxes. When she protested, she was told to go home,despite the fact that she was an employee with an unblemished record

Fast forward next December, (two weeks before christmas on her birthday) They call a meeting in her dept and tell them they are letting the whole dept go. They actually had the nerve to bring my wife a cake and flowers for her birthday. Now, I don't know who the genius was that came up with that one, or if their thinking was to soften the blow, but it was insensitive to say the least.

Hey it's nothing personal, look we got you guys cake! Cake!

My wife keeps in touch with some of her former coworkers. The company never rehired, they just passed on the responsibilites to different people. People doing other peoples' job for the same pay.

You want me to go to bat for a company that after years of loyal service tosses their employees out to boost their bottom line? I just don't see that.

I get it, it's just business. So when someone refuses to do a job not within their job spec, I don't think an employer should take offense to that. After all it's not personal, it's just business.

The company is still profitable by the way, just more now.

Again, just my experience. Maybe your place of employment is different, but after speaking to people, it seems to be more the norm than the exception.

@axtman, I agree with everything you said, unfortunately that just reinforces my opinion.

[Rickengeezer]

Originally Posted by Truktek2

That is why I don't think anyone should do more than they were hired to. Again, just my 2 cents. If anyone can tell me why that's unreasonable, I may just change my mind

"It's not my job". The person who uses those words most frequently would be the first person I'd fire if times got tough. In any business, there are unforeseen things that come up, things that aren't really anyone's "job" but that have to be done. I'll do my best to hold on to those employees who are there when needed, and dump those who won't.

[Truktek2]

Originally Posted by Rickengeezer

"It's not my job". The person who uses those words most frequently would be the first person I'd fire if times got tough. In any business, there are unforeseen things that come up, things that aren't really anyone's "job" but that have to be done. I'll do my best to hold on to those employees who are there when needed, and dump those who won't.

I wouldn't doubt that for one minute since that seems to be the common thought process with employers.

[hrodbert696]

Just to weigh in here... there's a reason they call it a labor "market." You've got to be out there buying and selling... yourself. Or your skills, more specifically. One problem I see in just about everyone's thinking here is that most are thinking defensively - how do I get a job and then not lose it...ever? Taking that defensive stance puts you in a static, passive position where sooner or later, maybe after a year or five years or fifteen years of "loyal service," you end up losing. It's almost inevitable.

The people who take an active approach to their careers are the ones who come out on top. They don't ask how they can stave off losing this job, they ask how they can use this job as a springboard to their next job, whether that means a promotion within the company or jumping to a different one. If one employer is going to load you with new responsibilities but no extra pay, where's the employer that will pay you better? If you have valuable skills and contacts, a smart boss will be concerned about that. If you don't cultivate new, up-to-date skills and contacts in your job, you are much more at your employer's mercy.

Again, I'm seeing a lot of this quite clearly through my wife's new position as a director. "Loyal service?" She's going to abolish the gold pin and plaque they've always given for fifteen years of working in the library or whatever. Why? Because it rewards people for sitting on their butts and not moving forward. Most of the people talking about their long loyal service are the ones who have resisted learning new technologies and new skills, accumulated years of incremental raises, and now could never get a job anywhere else without a big pay cut because they're underskilled and overpaid where they are, so they just sit in the one job as though it were still the 1970s without moving it forward. Rather than honoring workers for being immobile, better to have a reward for employees who are doing the most to help the company grow and improve its services NOW. I'm not saying anyone who's been posting is in the immobile category, but it is a reality out there.

If a boss is an idiot who will lay off good productive people and keep the losers, I wouldn't want to work for him anyway.

[Joe Nerve]

Originally Posted by Truktek2

I guess what you consider making your job easier, is what I consider just doing my job. That should be a given.

Let me give you a different take. About 4 years ago my wife worked for pharmaceutical company. She was about 7 months pregnant and still managed to get to work on time. She worked her butt off,even doing things she didn't have to do, without a complaint. One day, the guy in the mailroom called in sick and she was asked to sub for him that day. Normally she wouldn't take issue with it, but that would require her to stand all day and pick up boxes. When she protested, she was told to go home,despite the fact that she was an employee with an unblemished record

Fast forward next December, (two weeks before christmas on her birthday) They call a meeting in her dept and tell them they are letting the whole dept go. They actually had the nerve to bring my wife a cake and flowers for her birthday. Now, I don't know who the genius was that came up with that one, or if their thinking was to soften the blow, but it was insensitive to say the least.

Hey it's nothing personal, look we got you guys cake! Cake!

My wife keeps in touch with some of her former coworkers. The company never rehired, they just passed on the responsibilites to different people. People doing other peoples' job for the same pay.

You want me to go to bat for a company that after years of loyal service tosses their employees out to boost their bottom line? I just don't see that.

I get it, it's just business. So when someone refuses to do a job not within their job spec, I don't think an employer should take offense to that. After all it's not personal, it's just business.

The company is still profitable by the way, just more now.

Again, just my experience. Maybe your place of employment is different, but after speaking to people, it seems to be more the norm than the exception.

@axtman, I agree with everything you said, unfortunately that just reinforces my opinion.

That entire post spells out precisely why it's a good idea to go above an beyond the regular call of duty. The idea that it seems your wife went out of her way to be on time (regardless of the fact that she was pregnant) is the attitude of the first who would be let go. She wasn't doing anybody any favors showing up on time every day. She was doing was she was supposed to be doing. And it sounds as though you believe she should have been rewarded somehow for that.

[Truktek2]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

That entire post spells out precisely why it's a good idea to go above an beyond the regular call of duty. The idea that it seems your wife went out of her way to be on time (regardless of the fact that she was pregnant) is the attitude of the first who would be let go. She wasn't doing anybody any favors showing up on time every day. She was doing was she was supposed to be doing. And it sounds as though you believe she should have been rewarded somehow for that.

Wow. That's what you got from my post? I think you missed the point entirely. Nobody was expecting her to be rewarded for doing her job. She was a claims analyst, not a mailroom worker. If you hire me to be your accountant don't get mad if I refuse to wash your windows.

You go above and beyond, and it's not appreciated.

[DwaynieAD]

i love the "business owners" on here.. insisting on people going above and beyond. of course you want that. you are exploiting your work force. deal with it. I see it every day they train "back-ups" to do supervisor duties without having to pay the supervisor wage

keep on exploiting.

[Truktek2]

Originally Posted by DwaynieAD

I see it every day they train "back-ups" to do supervisor duties without having to pay the supervisor wage

keep on exploiting.

Yep. No wage increase, but that new title makes it oh so worth it. It'll come in handy to impress your next employer.

[Fishheadjoe]

Originally Posted by DwaynieAD

i love the "business owners" on here.. insisting on people going above and beyond. of course you want that. you are exploiting your work force. deal with it. I see it every day they train "back-ups" to do supervisor duties without having to pay the supervisor wage

keep on exploiting.

It's the business owners who are paying the workers. They have every right to place expectations upon their employees. Just as every bar owner has a right to expect the band they hired to arrive on time, perform as expected and go beyond their established set list, should a customer request it.
Yes, I am a business owner... I am self employed and the only employee of MY company... I have been a Professional I.T. recruiter for the better part of a 1/4 century. I coach people on career management and have had as many as 20 people reporting to me.
I didn't pay people to show up on time, that's a given and a requirement for employment. I rewarded those who made me look good in MY boss’s eyes.
I think that some of the folks in this thread need to understand or take a look at their situation from the perspective of management and above. Companies must be profitable if employees are to be paid. Employees, who get that, tend to be the ones that are rewarded.
Now, with all that said, I will freely admit that this is not a black or white world we live in. I always tell folks that I live in a grey world, nothing is black or white, just different shades of grey.
You can't guarantee anything in life, but you can sure position yourself for success or failure based on attitude and effort.
Fishheadjoe