Be Proud of What You Do

I have a friend who is a manager in a very large company, has a PhD, and too many certifications in his field to mention. However, ten years ago, he was downsized from a previous company and he eventually found himself working for minimum wage for over a year as a sales associate in a retail store.

I was talking to him a month ago and found out that during his “detour,” he learned a great deal about himself, customer service and maintaining a positive attitude. He said some of the most difficult experiences during that time were talking to family, friends and neighbors who seemed to be embarrassed for him as he was having to do work he was obviously overqualified for.
 
We live in a culture that "ranks" jobs, positions and titles. We believe that a prestigious degree or a title means your work is important.  But the truth is, all work is important and fills a vital need. Even a brain surgeon can't do his or her work if the hospital is not clean, orderly and stocked.

We can all be (and should be) proud of what we do. We all play a vital role and if we don't respect what we do and take pride in it, something is going to suffer. To be proud of what you do, here are three things to keep in mind:

Every job role has intrinsic value. The fact that some jobs are more difficult doesn't lessen the need for or the value of less difficult ones. As a popular Zen proverb states, “Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.” Any work that we do has value and is worthy of great respect.

Be your own “Employee Recognition Department." My mother was both a waitress and a home health care aid in her forties and fifties. She took pride in both jobs and talked about the importance of her work and how well she did it. I learned from my mother that it's great when others recognize us for what we do—but it's vital that we give that recognition to ourselves.

Work on yourself, not just your job. There's nothing wrong with recognizing we have more talent or ambition than our current job demands, if that's the case. However, there is something wrong when we think we're “above” that job and there's nothing more for us to learn. If we bring our best self to work each day, eventually, someone is going to see that and give us more responsibility and opportunity.

-Alan Allard, Leadership Coach/Life Coach
www.alanallard.com