You have a terrible work ethic! I have heard this a few times in my career! Why did leaders around me think my work ethic was terrible? I hated my job and I hated their approach to business. The truth is, people leave bad managers, not businesses.
For the remainder of these topics, please keep in mind that work ethic can mean many things to different people. This is from my perspective!
Positive work ethic can mean varying things, but they typically mean that you work until the task is completed to the best of your ability. You can either achieve your tasks in the time allotted, or you come in early and leave late or a variation of all of this. Regardless of the hours that it takes, you complete tasks as they were given to you. What also correlates with a positive work ethic is how you are as a person inside of a business. Are you easy to speak with, do you come across as a good listener, can you handle constructive criticism well, do you lead others well, responsible, disciplined and so on? I would consider this as traits of a positive work ethic.
You just have a bad attitude is the first thing that comes to mind with a negative work ethic! The next would be how productive are you at work? If you cannot produce at work of the tasks you are given, your work ethic is terrible, or you hate your job. Either way, you have something to work on! One of the first signs we see in people with a less than ideal work ethic is when they show up to work. Do they show up on time, or are they consistently late? Unless there is something going on at home, then this should lead a supervisor to have a talk with them to find out what is going on. If there is nothing going on that doesn’t have a valid reason, then look at handling these issues as soon as you can. If you let it slip for too long, others will start showing signs of a negative work ethic because the other person is getting away with it! If you are an employee and just don’t have it in you to deliver tasks on time in a productive manner, look at what you are doing in your life and adjust. People around you notice what is going on and do talk. Don’t think that you are fooling anyone.
No matter what side of the work ethic spectrum you are on, always be aware of one thing. People notice. It could be people that look up to you for guidance, it could be parallel staff to you, or it could be supervisors. Work ethic matters and you as an employee need to work on this daily. It doesn’t come easy, so show the effort. If you hate your job and don’t care, then make a plan to get out and go do something else. It is not fair to you or the business you are working to continue with a negative work ethic.
If you need help working with staff on work ethic principles, please reach out to us at Future to Now Consulting to get the conversation started. We will help you develop leadership skills that which will help your company achieve a positive work ethic and your goals.
