Entitlement or Professionalism
This week the issue of salaried people working more than 40 hours a week has come up more than once in my world – from my team, my clients, and an interviewee.
I find it an intriguing question. I find it even more interesting that the government is choosing to act like a union boss and lay down the law, forgetting to question who likes that and who doesn’t.
Personally, I feel it’s up to the individual.
When I was in corporate I never thought about 9-5. I thought about the work I was doing and what it would take for me personally to do it the very best I could. I wanted to know my clients, my team, my process’ and my company. I wanted to see what I personally needed for resources, skills and support in order to do the very best I could do.
Sometimes that meant I would take a project home so I had the privilege of exploring and learning in the quiet of my home – a place for me where my creativity often flowed better.
Sometimes that meant I was helping a client after hours to ensure excellent customer service and a win-win for the client and the company.
Not once did I have an expectation that I needed to be paid overtime for this. For me it was a matter of integrity. How I wanted to show up and do my work. For me it was how I was a professional.
I wonder if the difference is truly what I call a “come from”. Do I do what I do because of what I am entitled to or do I do it because that’s what makes me a pro?
Now that I am an employer who do you think I want on my team? Believe me I have worked with both and the entitlement issues show up in more than just getting paid. Surrounding yourself with people who love what they do and strive for excellence in it means the question of hours becomes a mute point. And truth be told, dollars will flow in abundance for everyone when service is the number one focus. I have seen this over and over for myself and for my clients.
I’m curious how you see this showing up in your life. Is this something you’ve noticed in yourself or in others around you?
