Going Above and Beyond

A friend was recounting to me recently about her problems at work, namely managing her staff.

Last week, there was an uproar among the staff assistants about cleaning the kitchen .  Apparently they felt that putting a coffee cup in the dishwasher was beneath them.  “It wasn’t in our job description,” they protested. 

Recently another colleague complained that she wasn’t getting enough pay, and her title ought to be better.  From what I can make of it, she doesn’t do enough work to justify any increase.  She just complains all the time.

I discussed these issues with my friend as I stood at my kitchen sink, putting coffee cups (and other things) in our dishwasher.  It struck me that the real managerial challenge she is facing is that young workers today are SPOILED.  They’re not used to working hard, or working as a team or working above and beyond the call of duty.  They’re much more interested in their paycheck, their stock options, their title, and most of all, that someone else in the office ISN’T making more than they are!!

I see a similar trend reflected in babysitters in our house.  When I was young, I cleaned the house and did the dishes in the sink every time I babysat.  I would NEVER dream of having the parents come home to a dirty house. These days, it usually looks like a bomb went off when my husband and I get home from a date. And food from dinner sits on the counter unrefrigerated, next to unwashed dishes.

As I homeschool my children, I’m trying to train them to do excellent work -- excellent chores, handwriting, piano playing. Ephesians 6 (which we’re all memorizing) nails it: 

“5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.”

Our culture is becoming one of mediocrity and whining.  As Christians, let us be voluntarily excellent!

In Him,

Lucy

Comments

[The Interface]

Amen! Right on target!

[Beth]

I agree.

And training is so important. I was talking to my daughter today about working on narration - the skeleton over which one builds a story. She likes story telling. But the hard work required for good story telling is building a sturdy skeleton.

With babysitters I now write out a list of what I need them to do so I am not angry when I get home:
wash dishes and pots
wipe down table and counters
make sure children clean up rooms and playroom perfectly . Then I go through it with them with the disclaimer 'I am sure you know all this, but I thought I would just write it down.' That way I look like the dummy, not them, which is better by far than coming home to a dump.

Beth