Does hard work really pay off in business?
Mood:
not sure
Topic: Business advise
I’ll Take Some Initiative Please, and Leave Out the Fairness
Initiative is hard to put into practice sometimes especially when jealousy and/or “fairness” get in its way. I admit that it is nice to have all employees involved in a given project so that all have a chance to take the leadership position, but let’s face it—not all participants on the team have what it takes to produce a satisfactory product. In the “real” real world there are CEOs, Presidents, VPs, Partners, Managers etc. and all of these people got to these positions of power and prestige because they took initiative at one point in their careers and went above and beyond what was expected of them. Surely what makes them excel, and the people who work under them respect them, is that they understand the importance of working in a team, listening to opinions and making sure that everyone is listened to (we’ll assume this is a perfect world).
Taking all of these factors into account I was recently the witness of an incident at work where one employee consistently takes initiative and is respected and revered by her superiors, yet her peers take offense at this at the same time. Her employees wonder why it is SHE who is always put in charge of “special projects,” why the supervisors always run to HER when there are duties to attend to and trust that SHE will get the job done. What these same peers fail to realize is that it is SHE who questions how things are done at the company and volunteers to create an easier or more efficient way to do the same things. SHE is the one that goes above and beyond what is written in her job description to do extra work, and is happy to do it.
So the question here is should the company “play fair” and let everyone have a chance to lead special projects or should that be limited to the people (here person) who comes up with novel ideas, puts them into practice, adequately and timely, and has more experience on the job? I am an advocate of fairness, yet I know that in the working world when it comes to getting the job done it is not all about fairness and making sure that everyone “gets a chance” so to speak. Sure in grade school the teacher let us all have a turn as group leader, or to be captain when playing “capture the flag” but in the working world it is, as the old saying goes, the early bird that catches the worm. If that wasn’t the case then there would be no need for CEOs, Presidents, VPs, Partners nor Mangers etc. we would all be equal, have the same duties. No one would be rewarded for thinking outside of the box because the entire group would get credit for it. We would not have to worry about taking initiative; there would be no such word.
I’m not arguing which world is better; I’m just noting that the former world is the world that we live in. Initiative is rewarded, and sometimes jealousy between co-workers is an unfortunate result. However, if one would like the perks of taking initiative such as respect from superiors, bonuses, and promotions, one has to put it into practice. Instead of, as the aforementioned employees have done, waiting around for a chance you expect to come to you, because “fairness” is not always a crucial ingredient in the working world.
CanaryWharfJobs.com provides London jobs online.
Posted by Samantha T at July 12, 2006 04:23 PM
Actually, it is possible for the two worlds to co-exist. It takes an astute manager to handle this and also to recognize that it's happening. Then one of the strategies the manager can use is to have the task that needs completion but turn it (where feasible) into a team project of two people and pair the "star" with one of those who would like an opportunity but is tongue tied.
The other thing that can be done is for the "star" to get the assignment and (again, where feasible) ask a co-worker to help them out in this way or that with a portion of the project where it helps the other learn some of the process or gain experience in doing that function. It is important to give credit to the co-worker at the end. "Boy, Janey's help was so great. I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't pitched in so willingly to do [part of project]." Make the comment in the hearing space of others (at least occasionally) so that they are aware that credit is given where it is due and that it is due.
Posted by: Yvonne LaRose, CollegeRecruiter.com - Career Coach at July 12, 2006 06:41 PM
Samantha,
I found your post interesting enough to comment. I have always been noticed as a top performer wherever I work and I have had issues with other employees about this. Usually, they don’t want me to “work too hard” because they think it makes them look bad (or at least that is what some have jokingly have told me in the past). I let them know that I mainly do what I do because I get bored easily and working is fun for me and it is also a way for me to compete with myself. It has nothing to do with wanting to be better than others…OK, sometimes it does!
Luckily, most often, I have had managers who were intelligent enough to place me in a position of training other employees. Generally, those who are lazy or passive aggressive towards the company do not want “training” but, since my nature is so humble and down-to-earth, so to speak…most employees have a fun time with me and they enjoy how “we” learn from each other. It takes a good manager to help the team and foster teamwork in the ranks. But, as you mentioned, not all managers get that and in the business world, everything is very competitive in nature.
I have found that not everyone is driven by competition and some are even turned off by it. I happen to love competition and I wish fairness played a larger role in business at times because not all employees are rewarded for being the best. Many times, managers and others who rise through the ranks do so because they play politics very well and/or are favored for other reasons besides being the best. In those cases, it would be nice if fairness played a larger role.
Sometimes I find similarities between high school and business such as, the popular cheer leader and the prom king and queen. Often times, these kids are popular because their parents have money, or they are very attractive, or they can play politics well, and not necessarily because they are the best, more talented, or have more to offer. Business can be similar to high school in this way. Not all individuals succeed because of their talent, hard work, and willingness to go the extra mile. Sometimes people succeed for other reasons that are not very fair. In the end, I still do believe that hard work, perseverance, and determination helps but it is not everything.
The Punk Rock PhD
Lisa Marie
Posted by: Lisa Marie Portugal at July 13, 2006 07:44 AM
Posted by thepunkrockphd
at 1:58 AM
Updated: Thursday, 13 July 2006 2:03 AM
cheeky
chatty![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.collegerecruiter.com/insightblog/nav-commenters.gif){kind=small}
incredulous
loud