Which kind of person are you when it comes to work? (1 Viewer)

[IvanKaramazov]

I'm pretty much a 1, and I'm one of those guys who is checking email on his vacation days.  In my defense though, I sincerely enjoy my job and I'm surely more emotionally invested in my employer (a public university) than most people are in theirs.  I don't feel like I'm "working" most of the time.  Also, I'm almost never on campus past 4:30 or so, but that's part of the nature of my line of work.  Nobody "stays late" in academia.  

 

[dickey moe]

There's a third group. They try to strike a balance between your obligatory Options 1 and 2.

 

[wikkidpissah]

The nail on my left pinkie finger is almost 2 inches long. It's been that way since i was 8 or 9 years old and saw the Asian drug dealers on Mission Hill had em like that as a sign they made their way on their wits (going back to when Chinese royalty hand their hands wrapped  til their nails grew through and out the other side of their hands to show they didnt have to do a thing). Me and my best friend couldnt grow ours out much without gettin whipped but we'd scribble black crayon on em before school to match the thick lacquer on theirs in tribute.

Made up my mind long ago to get by on my wits and without a college education. Except for some pickin' and diggin' the two years i was a teen runaway, i've been true to it. Though i would have liked to go further in the psych business than i could without initials after my name, i have no regrets. And lots of stories.

That said, you can't live like i did without creating value to others. I worked assiduously & unstintingly to offer value to anyone with whom i've partnered or by whom i've been employed. But i'd have been a criminal before i'd have been a drone.

 

[Amused to Death]

Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh heh - and, uh, after that I just sorta space out for about an hour.  Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work. 

Probably more truth in that quote these days than I'd like to admit.  Through my 20's and 30's I was much closer to 1.  Lots of overtime, work holidays to meet a deadline. Very much a perfectionist.  Then as I got older, I became much more jaded.  When you give up your Saturday and go to the office and realize you're the only one there.  Or the deadline you were given turns out to be false (they just wanted the work done so you stop charging their job or because someone was going on vacation and needed to get their project done before leaving).

Then in my 40s I changed companies and got my own staff.  Much more free time, as long as my department work is high quality, on- or under-budget and meets the deadlines.

 

[bcdjr1]

In the last few years as I've seen more and more how little a company values the people that work there regardless of how much value they add to the company, the less I have felt it to be important that I exert maximum effort to provide value to the company. 

I do my work, and I'll do it well - they are paying me afterall. But I'm leaving on time, taking my vacation, and I leave work at the office whenever possible. 

 

[bigmarc27]

Nearly 100 votes on a football message board before lunch on a workday... with 70% of the respondents saying they take work very seriously. 

 

[skol asylum]

Just started a new job on Wednesday and the guy I'm replacing is leaving after today, so right now I'm the confused as hell kind of work person. 

 

[urbanhack]

I've been a little bit of both over my career.   However, I choose to live by the thought of...

"work to live instead of live to work"

 

[El Floppo]

this type.

 

[urbanhack]

Also pretty funny to see that the vote is swaying towards #1 as everyone spends their day in here posting instead of working.

 

 

[AAABatteries]

Nearly 100 votes on a football message board before lunch on a workday... with 70% of the respondents saying they take work very seriously. 

We are all aliases of FBG staff - it's our job to post here!

 

[NutterButter]

There are programs - that mimic a mouse movement every so often.   

Just saying



I may not really even be posting this

I threw together a 4 line powershell script to do this.   I frequently log in at night and fire off the script to run for an hour.  Look at NutterButter putting in the extra time.

 

[skol asylum]

I threw together a 4 line powershell script to do this.   I frequently log in at night and fire off the script to run for an hour.  Look at NutterButter putting in the extra time.

Can't you schedule the script?

 

[Slapdash]

I take things very seriously and generally work much more efficiently/quickly than any peers.  I do never feel guilty about time off, coming in late, leaving early, going to the gym during work, etc.

 

[bcdjr1]

Can't you schedule the script?

He'd still have to have his machine booted up and logged in. Might as well just fire it manually at that point. 

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

Can't you schedule the script?

He said powershell.  Of course he can't.   

OH SHNAP, NO I DI'INT

 

[skol asylum]

He said powershell.  Of course he can't.   

OH SHNAP, NO I DI'INT

Not an IT guy so clue me in on the joke.

Actually I may be learning a little bit of powershell at my new job.

 

[chet]

I was the first type but morphed into type 2 after my kids were born.  Life's too short.

 

[wilked]

I would like to see the R^2 value of results vs post count

 

[sbonomo]

Out of the two types that you describe--I definitely relate to the first type.  Part of it is that I tend to be a workaholic and the other part is the way that I was raised. While I always had a roof over my head and never had to miss any meals--my upbringing was that I was very middle class in an area that tends to be more upper class.  Also--my parents were in the middle of a divorce when I was in college--and at the time--because they weren't officially divorced--I wasn''t able to qualify for financial aid or student loans (as their joint incomes looked decent).  However--the truth of the matter was that most  (if not all) of their money was going to pay lawyers--and the little remaining was used for them to make their ends meet while in the divorce.  Because of that I worked two jobs while being a full time college student and paid my way through.  I remember that at one point--I made the quarterly tuition payment and purchased the necessary books for my class-and literally had $45 left in my account to last until my next payday.   I was living on top ramen and picked up every hour of work that I could those two weeks--and I never want to feel that way again. This might sound stupid--but sometimes being broke is the perfect motivation to be a workaholic. 

Lastly-I think somebody brought up the small business aspect. Being the manager of a very busy small business--I really have no alternative but to be a workaholic.  My co-workers do not know how to do sales reports, payroll, our taxable/untaxable reports for the state board, and much more.  I feel guilty when I miss a few days of work because I know that the mountain of work on my desk is just growing exponentially--as nobody else on my staff can do it.  While I technically have lots of vacation time per year--I rarely ever get close to using it all because I end up drowning in work when I return from them.  

This is not stupid.  I believe that many of the young folks entering the work place have never felt this way before and are much worse off because of it.  I remember struggling financially all through school, as you said, working at least two jobs to try and earn enough to scrape by.  Parents of this generation probably did as well resulting in them sacrificing so there kids didn't have the same experience.      

 

[[icon]]

If those are the only two options then I'm in group 2 - life IS short.  I don't think you paint the 2nd group in a positive light - I don't take many sick days, only use the vacation allotted me and I show up every day and get my #### done.

This is where I'm at. I once had a boss tell me he actually respected that I "work to live" and not "live to work". Later on it said it was a factor in his decision to change career paths and be less of a "company man". 

At work, I bust my ### and get #### done. If I need to stay late or take stuff home, I do it. I've got glowing recs from every superior/CEO i've had. I've never really NOT worked. Worked 3 jobs to put myself through college.  At the same time.. I use all my vacation time (though not sick time, unless needed). I occasionally will slip out early on a Friday to head out of town with the GF, Family, or friends.

I'm respectful of my employer, and make sure they get their moneys worth and are pleased with my performance... but my work/life balance is very important to me. 

Now.. if I worked for myself, that would likely change and I'd immerse myself moreso. But as of now that's not the case. 

 

[urbanhack]

You should be able to find a balance.

***HIDDEN GEM ALERT***