Job Environment

Take This Job and Shove It

Take this Job and Shove it …

"I've seen a lot of good folk die
Who had a lot of bills to pay
I'd give the shirt right off of my back
If I had the nerve to say .. Take this job and shove it …."

— Johnny Paycheck

 

Have you ever felt this way about your job? Have you ever dragged your body out of bed on a cold, dark morning and the most positive thing you can grumble to yourself is, "This day is one day closer to the day I will never have to go to this job again"?

If so, welcome to the club. You are an official member of the largest unofficial club in America – The "Next Check Club" where card-carrying members stay at their jobs primarily to get their next paycheck. The club even has its own secret password so members can recognize each other. You know a fellow club member when you ask a friend, "How's work?" and the response is, "Well, it's a job!"

Is this what you had in mind for a career when you got out of school? No way!

Did you think that when you put forth all that effort to prepare yourself for a career and personal advancement that you would end up working in a corporate culture that, at best, could be described as a stagnant pond? In a company where management acts like a mafia group that collaborates among themselves; a management interested only in maintaining their own power structure?

Or maybe you were not expecting to work in a business where management comes across as all-loving and caring on the surface, but behave as though they couldn't care less about you and your fellow employees? Do you feel frustrated to work in a company where management acts as though the only solution to any problem is to downsize or outsource while skirting honest communication with employees? Do you sometimes find yourself just going through the motions at work and trying to keep a low profile for fear that you will be the next one to be outsourced?

Have you found yourself trapped in a corporate culture that could best be described as a hornet's nest? Where all the rules, procedures and corporate dictates are subject to the whim of management at any given moment?

Do you feel that management is not interested in your ideas and if you offer them, they seem insulted, even threatened? Have you come to recognize that your job security does not really depend upon your talent and effort, but on the Peter Principle where top managers rise to the level of their incompetence and treat you the same way?

Worst of all, do you feel totally depressed because family responsibilities, the pay you are receiving and the state of the economy has you trapped in your job like a terrorist caged in Guantanamo? (Who knows, maybe water-boarding is a trifle better than the treatment you're getting!)

Some readers might think this is all made up – no job environment could ever be this bad – but most can almost see other heads nodding "yes" in recognition of the truth. The fact is, the corporate culture I describe here is more the norm than the exception . . . and you know it!

Raise Your Hand if You Would Like Something Better

If you have not already given up and given in and surrendered your future and happiness to a group of bureaucratic, incompetent, insincere and insecure manager, you should make a solemn promise to yourself to do something about it—before it is too late.

• If you could find a situation where you, your effort and your talent are recognized, appreciated and rewarded, would you raise your hand?
• If you could find a place where communication was open, consistent and honest, would you raise your hand?
• If you could find a place where your interests, the interests of management and the company were all in parallel – where no one wins unless everyone wins – would you raise your hand?
• If you could find a place where risk-taking, innovation, creativity and interaction with management is sought and encouraged, would you raise your hand?
• If you could find a place where you feel that you make a difference and the difference you make is encouraged and rewarded, would you raise your hand?
• If you could find a place where you are rewarded for the value you add to the organization – rather than to whose butt you kiss – would you raise your hand?

The Moral of the Story …

There have been in the past, are now, and could be in the future, corporate cultures that operate in a way that would make you want to raise your hand to join. Certainly these cultures are the exception rather than the rule of corporate life, but it is worth the effort to seek them out. It might seem like a risk to join a company with this type of culture – especially if it were a start-up – but be honest with yourself and recognize that it is even more of a risk to remain trapped in your current situation.

The key is to be open-minded, observant and have the nerve to raise your hand when the call is made. Will you be one of those who has the courage to break out of the trap of the business world as others want it to be and seek a situation where you have the power to make the future what you want it to be?

 

About the Author

Robert W. MacDonald is a best-selling authorand head of CTW Consulting, LLC, a business consulting firm. His popular blog, www.bobmaconbusiness.com, regularly highlights business management issues and solutions. From 1987 to 1999, MacDonald served as CEO of LifeUSA, a life insurance company he founded and sold to international insurance and financial services giant Allianz SE for  $540 million. From October 1999 to March 2002 he was CEO of Allianz Life of North America. Prior to founding LifeUSA, he was CEO of ITT Life, wholly-owned by The Hartford.

do you wish Congress would act as quick on creating a good job environment,vs wilson's bad behavior?

he did apologize for this didn't he to the prez himself?

I think Congress has alot more on their plates to deal with, than Wilson. He apologized twice, they wanted him to bow in front of him and apologize a third time. I think when elections come in 2010, we are going to see some very sad Democrats. ***

Job Environment

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How My Work At Home Job Was the Key to Overcoming Depression

Landing a work at home job was the first step to overcoming depression.  Attorneys are notorious for suffering from work related depression and I was no different. Mine was compounded by the fact that I was constantly a wife away from her husband, and a mom away from her daughter.  My job was not only wrecking my lifestyle, it was destroying me from the inside out. Let me share with you how switching to working at home helped me:

I Had More Control

When you're in a downward spiral, it's often due to the fact that you feel that you no longer have control. That was a big issue for me, and reporting to work every day outside of the home amounted to giving my employer complete control over my life. I had no sense of freedom or empowerment.

Working from home for an employer was a lot different. I didn't achieve the freedom that entrepreneurs experience, but I had regained some control of my life. I worked in my home environment where I felt comfortable and safe. I was in arms reach of my daughter if there was an emergency. I was home to have lunch with her.  I worked for someone, but I felt more freedom and more in control.

I Slept Better

Cutting down on my commute increased the time I had to sleep. I could take care of my home responsibilities during the time that was normally eaten up by a commute, and I could go to bed earlier. Sleep is crucial to overcoming depression. The more exhausted I was, the more I felt overwhelmed by my depressed feelings. The difference before and after working outside the home was literally night and day in this area of sleep. And I'm not just referring to overnight sleep. I could also take naps. Try doing that when you work outside the home and see how long you have a job.

My Diet Improved

There were many days when I threw together meals because I just didn't have the time. I also used that as an excuse to grab fast food on many occasions. My physical health suffered because of poor eating habits, and consuming high salts and sugars kicked my depression into high gear. I'm sure that there are many workers with jobs outside the home who eat healthy. There's no question though, that having access to your kitchen and more time to plan and prepare meals because you work at home removes some of the challenges to eating healthy foods.

I Could Get Support

The people I needed support from were the most available during the daytime when I would normally be working. My "moms" group met in the mornings, my extended family was busy with their own families in the evenings when I got off work, and so finding a regular time to meet people in person became difficult. Phone calls and emails don't cut it when you're where I was. I needed a pat on the back, a hug, a smile. Human interaction with people I trusted that could support me through it was important. My work outside the home made that difficult.

Overcoming depression may take more than switching your job or your job environment, but it can be an important step in your journey. Consider a work at home job so that you can have a lifestyle that aids the healing process.

About the Author

To learn more about my work at home journey and how to start your own, join me and other work at home experts, for the FREE Your Best Job Now Telesummit. You'll learn insider secrets that will help you get a work at home job without starting a business at this free event.

 

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Job Environment