Guess I will not be receiving the Nobel prize for my Dessert Tray idea, so it looks like I will have to continue at my present job. That sort of sucks, I would certainly love to get a wad of money, and spend the rest of my days doing exactly what I want when I crawled out of bed.
Therefore, I suppose I will continue trying to fix all those things that irritate me immensely. The saddest part is, I must be subtle about everything, because, if I put things down the way my brain really computes, I would likely end up unemployed.....
In the perfect world, I would have the ability to order folks about, and lay down rules that make sense to me, and ensure those rules were followed to the letter. Yikes, no one would want to work for me, as I would expect them to do their best, each and every day, because that is what I was taught. I was also taught, if I did my best each and every day, I would be recognized for that work, and rewarded. Perhaps, that is how I would have employees, they would clue in, if they pulled up their socks, I would recognize and show appreciation. There lies the issue at hand, appreciation along with common sense seems to be a thing of the past.
I see it every single day I work. Someone goes out of their way to do something extra, and what do they get? Absolutely nothing!!! Oh, there is the occasional "Thank you", which is generally followed by a "This wasn't done properly", which totally negates the Thank you.Now, don't get me wrong, it is not only the employer, it is also others who have been in the lower echelons, and should certainly remember what is was like. It is funny how often it is those who have "been there" that tend to forget absolutely everything, and become "Lords of the Flies".
I know I said dessert trays would solve all the problems, but, appreciation does not have to come in the form of food, it simply HAS to come, and often. When employees are working extremely hard, and it is obvious they are somehow managing to keep things flowing when over worked, appreciation goes a very long way.
Years back, when I worked for the "best boss in the world", I was very young, and the first raise I got, I was blown away. I never asked for the raise, it simply showed up on a pay cheque, out of the blue. That raise made me feel all warm and fuzzy, and proud, and full of the knowledge that I was obviously doing something right.That raise and the ones that followed, gave me incentive, I continued to work as hard as I could for this man, and never felt that I was just a body to fill a spot to keep his establishment running, I was an important cog in the machinery of his business. I knew he was watching, and when he felt I was giving a little more to his company, in return he gave me more. I thought that was the way things worked in life.
What has changed in the world? Wages are certainly not rising to meet the cost of living. My job has absolutely no benefits, so I am left, lucky enough to have a partner that has a job to give me the necessary extended medical, but, even his no longer pays for basic medical, so that comes out of my pocket. Income tax has gone up, the cost of food has gone sky high, utilities are through the roof, and I see signs that local politicians are planing to start charging for water!!! Hello...the only time I get a raise is when my friend goes into the office to complain that we have not received one in a very long time, and that we are working our butts off. Then, sometimes, we will grudgingly see a result on our pay.
I don't belong to a union, there is no group sitting back watching to ensure my wage keeps up with the rest of the world. There is no employee of the week award, there is no cash reward for stepping up to the plate and going beyond the "Norm". When an employer does not acknowledge extra effort on an employees part, there becomes absolutely no reason to continue to pull this effort out of their pocket. Some take longer than others to accept the truth, but, it does happen, and you, as an employer, will find one day, every single employee shows up, and does nothing but the basics.
I know this is happening far beyond my little job, it is a sign of the times, and, I am sure it all comes back to my past rant on "common sense". Employees are no different than those Lab animals, we will stop performing the bell ringing, and running through the maze, if we feel what is at the end is not worth the trip. So, it is apparent, appreciation and acknowledgement are basics in the workplace, if those two things are given to an employee with a smidgeon of common sense, the result will be continued hard work. Without it, employers are taking the risk that their workers wake up one morning and decide that they are fed up with lack of appreciation and either leave, or, stop giving their best, and join the mediocre majority.Employers cannot have their cake and eat it too, just like the rest of the world.
I don't know, the Dessert tray would certainly have softened the harsh reality, as it would definitely been a sign of appreciation, but...money and acknowledgement are necessities in the workplace. The cogs are starting to slip in the machinery all over this province, and it is way past time for a mechanical rebuild.
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