Work ethic
With so much chatter about the willingness to work and debate about just how much people are currently working, I figured it was time to explore the concept of work ethic. Like so many other terms in our lexicon the definition of 'work ethic' and the cultural use of the term do not always align. In many cases, I would argue that the current perception of work ethic is in direct contrast with the actual meaning.
work eth·ic
/wərk ˈeTHik/
noun
the principle that hard work is intrinsically virtuous or worthy of reward.
In practice, work ethic is generally demonstrated through taking initiative, being dependable, responsible, trustworthy, and honest. It has little to nothing to do with the performative aspects of appearing to work more than those around you. Performative behaviors include arriving before and staying later than your boss, responding the fastest to inquiries, overcommitting, or working more hours than required to get the job done simply to prove how dedicated you are. Work ethic is a concept that supports putting in the effort required to complete a task or achieve an overall goal. The outcome is both a feeling of personal satisfaction and acknowledgement by your manager or colleague of satisfactory achievement. At work, your paycheck is the reward received in exchange for your work ethic.
When done well your work ethic creates a personal sense of pride. As you work to accomplish things throughout your life, you will consistently find yourself adjusting aspects of your work ethic to get better at executing and excelling. Identifying which aspects of your work ethic are your innate strengths, as compared to your areas of opportunity, early on in life will give you more time to work toward improvements. When you are acknowledged for your capabilities, you are encouraged to demonstrate more of those traits. When you have doubt about your ability to be good at something, it's important to see that as an opportunity to challenge yourself to go beyond your comfort zone. Each time you experience success after doubt, you become that much more encouraged to take more risks. Add up years of these experiences with understanding and improving your work ethic and you will soon identify self-growth.
At work, acknowledgement of your work ethic is demonstrated through trust with stretch assignments, additional developmental opportunities, and promotions. These tasks should never simply be acts of doing more work. Being assigned more work without strategic vision is less of an acknowledgement of your work ethic and more related to your ability to fulfill a need. Opportunities to demonstrate a broader range of your skill set are intentional and carefully selected to both challenge you to grow and showcase your strengths. These projects position you to solve problems you haven't had responsibility for in the past and collaborate with leaders and colleagues that you have had limited interaction with previously. Remember to ask for support along the way, lean into the initial fear you may experience, and have a positive outlook on your ability to be successful. Documenting your experience is another great way to identify additional areas of development for yourself, while also providing you with future motivation.
We all have a foundation for our work ethic by the time we enter the workforce. Those attributes are shaped by how we were raised and who we were raised by, in addition to our achievements in school. Defining your personal work ethic requires tuning out the noise that exists outside of the space you are operating in. Observe the admirable behaviors of people around you, as an opportunity to examine which traits you want to strengthen and how. Pay attention to the specific characteristics you loathe in others to identify how to eliminate or replace those traits with more beneficial behaviors. Knowing who you don't want to be, is as important as knowing who you want to be.
Applying effort to define your work ethic is self-improvement that will undoubtedly lead to your success. Don't be fooled into believing that appearing to contribute more (time, interest, effort) is the equivalent of making meaningful contributions. Keep in mind that ultimately your work ethic is for your benefit. The rewards you receive as a result of your work ethic represent gratitude for your contributions.
*Written al fresco on a quiet sunny morning.