Work Harder by Melanie T. Lim (SunStar Cebu)

As I reflected on my past career at ST and how I miss them doing hectic tasks, I became even more grateful for the opportunities handed to me there. So I'm sharing another eye-opener article from Melanie T. Lim, which I can highly relate to. Like her, I do believe that when you plant good seeds even if you're not bearing the fruit today, there will certainly be a better harvest tomorrow. 

Here's the complete post as it appeared on SunStar Cebu.

Lim: Work harder

By Melanie Lim

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Melanie T. Lim

Wide Awake

It’s Labor Day and instead of thinking about higher wages, why not think about working har-der? Sure.

The capitalist system is not perfect.

I’m not saying that there are no abusive employers.

But where there are none, there are also abusive employees.

I have had the unique opportunity to live in a socialist state and have experienced first-hand the lackadaisical attitudes of employees guaranteed tenure.

No system is perfect. But at the end of the day, I have to say that the capitalist set-up wins despite its imperfections because under the capitalist state, there is greater motivation to work, as greater rewards are possible for those who work more.

I am familiar with the old ways of doing things.

Former generations tended to look upon laborers as cogs in machines. My generation of employers, however, is bending backwards to look upon employees as partners in progress.

I have both been an employer and employee. My greatest fault as an employee has always been insubordination. But I’ve never been accused of not working hard enough. In fact, I have always done more than what I was paid to do—-including speaking my mind when I was probably not supposed to.

As an employer, I find that most employees do not do more than what is required of their jobs. They don’t go the extra mile.

It’s not about how much you are paid. It’s about how much you care about the job.
While I have always appreciated just compensation, that’s never been a factor in my performance. Even with poor pay or no pay at all, I put in 1,000 percent of myself.

That’s how I spot the gem upon the stones—-the employee who takes the initiative to suggest how to make things better, how to do things faster, how to simplify procedures and achieve greater productivity and efficiency. This employee cares about the company.

The employee, on the other hand, who chooses to keep quiet so as not to rock the boat with ideas and suggestions, which may not sit well with her employers, cares only about her job. As an employer, I appreciate the employee who goes out on a limb for the company.

The employee who is willing to learn new things and tasks, the employee who is open to accepting greater responsibility, the employee who understands that her job is not simply to get the task at hand done but to make things easier and better for everyone—-the customers, the boss, the team, the company.

But what do we find in our labor force? Laborers who are constantly late and absent due to a multitude of reasons so flimsy they should be fired on the spot. Dishonesty in forms you would never dream of.
A lack of responsibility on the job. And an appalling sense of indifference as to whether or not the company they work for actually survives or prospers.

You want a raise? For a change, try improving your performance on the job.

Try caring a little bit more for the long-term survival and success of the company you work for. Try factoring in competition, pilferage, obsolescence, economic slowdown, non-performing assets.

At any rate, if you don’t feel justly rewarded for your efforts, you will find your rewards in the after-life.

That’s certainly what I’m hoping for.

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