Article Surfing Archive

Many workers tend to look at the job as simply a means of funding what they enjoy doing on the weekend (when they are no longer at work). Employment is relegated to the lowly position of simply paying bills while carving out just enough time to enjoy some time away from work on occasion.

What if work could be more than that? What if work did not feel have to feel like work? For some people this scenario is true.

A story has been told about a truck driver who appreciated the money involved in over-the-road trucking, but struggled with the many hours behind the wheel. He had been partnered up with an older driver who never complained about getting behind the wheel and even seemed to enjoy the many hours of driving. The young driver felt as if his partner actually seemed more invigorated the longer he drove and could never understand why.

When his curiosity could no longer stand it the young man asked for the secret the old man had that allowed him to withstand the rigors of over-the-road travel. The old man looked at the younger man with a smile and said, 'You went to work this morning while I took a ride in the country.'

The older man learned a valuable secret. Every day you get to choose your attitude.

If you have employees who come to work, watch the clock and are ready to leave long before the day is up perhaps you can help them rethink work. It could be these employees are not enjoying their work and that can and should be addressed, or it could be they are filling a position that is not well suited to their skills. However, it could also be that the employee has simply never considered the joy involved in actually doing work.

The truth is you can't actually enjoy work if you have made a conscious decision not to enjoy it. As a business owner you can help your staff learn skills that make them better employees and essentially allow them to enjoy what they do

1) Each employee has a choice to make about how they respond to work. They can have negative attitudes and be clock-watchers or they can be productive and find themselves surprised when the workday has come to an end. They can even look forward to a new day of employment.

2) By finding the right fit in a career employees can tap into their own personal passion for the work they do and it becomes something much greater than a job.

If you have a team member who seems to be borderline you should do everything you can to invite them to join in the fun that work can be. They will likely resist at first and feel as though those who are having fun are living a lie. However, for those whose perspectives have been altered the difference is compelling and will be noticed by other team members as well as customers.