How
to Keep Your Job: Lessons to Think About!
Tommy Boone,
PhD, MPH, MA, FASEP, EPC
Professor
and Chair
Director,
Exercise Physiology Laboratories
The College
of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN
55811
EVER FEEL
HELPLESS? Ever feel scared? Ever just want to leave and get
away? At times, everyone has felt helpless and scared. Some
have thought about getting away, and others have done so. At times,
keeping a job becomes the job in itself. The feeling of not being
in control is enough to raise blood pressure, elevate respiration, and
disturbed the body in a variety of ways. Feelings, pressures, and
especially unwanted encounters; they all can get to us. So we struggle
in expectation that the next encounter will be less dangerous and less
confrontational. I know I do, and I know the game is never ending.
The struggle in keeping one’s job is a struggle beyond simple answers.
It is filled with a courtyard of power figures, those struggling for power,
and those who do not have the slightest idea of the constant vigilance
of the scheming few. It is all a delicate and unfortunate mess.
Even the game itself is against the subtle sense of what is right.
In the end, we learn not to trust. Or, shall I say, we learn not
to trust with absolute conviction.
The Reality
of Work
Why is it
a problem among adults to be fair and honest? Why is it that the
good person comes to nothing and the bad-hearted on the surface shows up
selfless but wanting? Trapped by confusion and led by emotion, misery
becomes inescapable when we trust completely. It is a problem; one
that leads to misery that precedes a calculated result? Why is it
that analysis, however personalized, is a masquerade of deception?
I am the first to point out that I do not have the answers. All I
can say is that I have come to believe that such is the reality of working
in the public sector, which reminds me:
“Any
man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the
great number who are not good.” -- The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli,
1469-1527
Are you surprised
with Niccolo’s statement? Have I said anything that you have not
figured out for yourself or how you feel at this moment? Or, is it
that you have fallen to the same mistakes many good employees have?
That is, daring to believe that people are honest, caring, and trustworthy.
Is it so common an honest expectation that we cannot master an alternative
thinking? These are important questions that hold our feelings in
question and our passion in check. At times, our feelings comfort
us. At other times, the reality of work is so unsettling that it
is difficult to keep the passion burning.
The Need
to be Vigilant
I have heard
that “largeness is the first step toward extinction”. The loss of
flexibility and the unwillingness positions the business, the company,
or an organization as if it were on a sheet of ice. Just a slight
mistake in calculation, everything comes tumbling down. Obviously,
this is exactly what you do not want to happen to you. If the following
“lessons” can help you face a serious problem or to avoid a problem, nothing
in the world would please me more. What is offered is not free, the
cost is your time. By paying the price you will be in an excellent
position to anticipate job-related issues. After reading this article,
however, do not be so foolish as to imagine the lessons are the beginning
and the end of handling your work and keeping your job. Your thinking,
your expertise, and your power to control the circumstances and conditions
of your job are more important than anything mentioned here. Be vigilant,
stay in control, and listen to your heart and mind.
You are
Replaceable
We suspect
that it is all a game; a game of fear, manipulation, and power. We
are only as important as our employers allow us to be. If it can
be determined that another person can deliver a better product at, perhaps,
a lower cost to the establishment (salary or otherwise), we are no longer
important. It may take just one comment or a single individual
with a different agenda. The point being, we are replaceable.
Never forget this lesson: “You are replaceable.” This is
lesson #1. What is important, therefore, is to create your position
in such a way that it is a major problem to replace you. Work at
it. Plan for it. You are in a battle against the odds of someone
less expensive who will be more than willing to sit in your position.
Everything
is Not Okay
The second
lesson is to get over the idea that “everything is wonderful” even
when we are congratulated for a job well done. Be wary of congratulations.
Do not imagine that your colleagues are not unhappy that you are the fascination
of the department, the hospital wing, or the corporation. Point in fact,
everything is not okay when you make the mediocre appear less intelligent
and average. It is a simple matter of intimidation and contradiction.
If they have not figured out how to ignore you, their feelings will be
demonstrated in overt deceptiveness in a variety of other ways. A
primary way is the enthusiastic lack of honesty when talking about you
with individuals they hope to gain something from. One last important
point: It is better to have your colleagues need you out of necessity
than out of your productivity.
Be Wary
of Friends
The third
lesson: Be wary of friends in general, and especially friendships
developed at work. Be wary of friends with congratulatory comments.
Sounds crazy and opposite from what it should be, but employment in the
public sector spares no one. We may assume one thing and, yet come
to realize altogether something different when a friend is too quickly
to agree. Why is that? First, it is not good business to work
alongside a colleague who agrees with our every word and thought.
Differences in opinion help fuel growth in ideas and productivity.
My point, however, is that no matter how much we may depend on a friend
to support us, a friend can become our worst enemy in a heartbeat.
The best you can do is to engage in conversation and hopeful possibilities,
but keep your distance. Sounds like deception. To a degree,
it is deception. And remember friends at work are not part of your
family. Avoid the temptation of thinking that they deserve all your
time and emotions.
Keep Your
Thinking From Others
It is important
to “keep your thinking to yourself”. This is the fourth lesson.
It is the only way. Deceivers are good at what they do. They
set the stage for dishonesty that champions their agenda. All this
leaves us with the feeling that power or the fighting to attain power is
the celebrated statement of having made it or the likelihood of making
it. To creep along without power is as bad as trying to douse a huge
fire with a cup of water. Never let yourself get lost in the notion
that speaking in length with colleagues is a good thing. Make yourself
understand that however mysterious and mis-understood, it is a mistake
to willingly share your ideas. When everyone else knows what you
know, there is little opportunity to create the right conditions to fascinate
others. The secret is to not share everything you know with your
colleagues. Learn to hold back. Silence can be very rewarding.
Be in Control
Securing your
position is a job in itself. It is a game of appearance, reaction,
and self-talk. When you carefully control your appearance and your
reaction to “why did you do such-in-such?” – you are viewed as being in
control (lesson #5). Those around you (i.e., your immediate
colleagues) are always judging how you look, what you say, and whether
you know what you are supposed to know. In other words, it is about
your reputation and how you define it. Most importantly, remember
that reputation is important. What most people do not know is that
your motives are real and that your reputation reflects your selfless interest
in helping or doing a better job, as defined by your own realities and
not those of others. They have to learn that your motivation is not
money or position. Will they come to understand is an open question?
Less is
More
When asked,
“Why did you do what you did?” -- the answer should always follow
a short response followed by a significant pause (lesson #6).
In this case, less is more! Most of us understand this point, but
mess up every time. By not continuing to speak, those who want answers
are pressed to figure out what to do next. The power is in saying
less and, thus the opportunity to avoid saying something that can be either
mis-interpreted or used against you. The bottom line: Avoid
being trapped by saying too much especially when the impression might be
that your comments are not exactly truthful. Knowing when to stop
talking is good. Not everyone can appreciate this point even after
lost opportunities of misplaced and blind talking.
Keep a Low
Profile
Keep a low
profile. This lesson #7. When the passion burns high,
there is always the attention to capture the hearts of others. Equally
so, there is the fear of failing to embrace those who have helped you along
the way. Choose to keep your actions low key as it allows for a more
reasonable position when measured with your administrators or those who
pay you. Do not let them be too impressed with you and, regardless
of what you might think, do not encourage others to think that you are
more important whether it is teaching, doing research, working with clients,
or increasing business. The key is that you cannot be more important
than those you work for unless you have the power to re-define the administration,
the business, or the employer. Such is the power, however subtle
and necessary to put the right foot forward to realize your future.
Sincerity is of course important in relationships, but never forget that
someone else, perhaps, someone you know is not only willing but wanting
to seek revenge.
Choose Your
Battles
Keep focused,
save your energy, and choose when to stand tall (lesson #8).
Most of us want to fight for what we believe, and fight we will even to
our own defeat. We must choose the right time and place to press
our point. Not all battles are worthy of our emotions much less our
strength and energy. Forget the less important disagreements.
Align your mind and body with the right emotions and physical abilities.
Never spend time with those who create problems. And, most importantly,
when the fight is centered directly on a former friend, forget reconciliation.
Forget it. It is that simple, and it is that absolute. Show
no mercy and express no regret when your former friend is an enemy.
The solution is simple: Find new friends and learn to discover the
joys of new possibilities elsewhere.
Avoid Being
too Available
Years ago
my father said, “If you wish to be married for a long time, you should
probably get a serious habit away from the house.” His comment came
as a surprise. Now, after 35 years of marriage and after 35 years
of college teaching, his point is consistent with the fact that we become
“too common” when we are too available, too predictable, and too obvious.
This
is lesson #9. Avoid situations where your willingness to be helpful
becomes a handicap. Think about it for a moment. Those who
are in power are often times the least available for comment, service,
or presence in needed discussions. In short, set the circumstances
that you will be appreciated for your professional services by not making
yourself so available. This is true even when you are extremely excited
about doing something special. In fact, it is absolutely necessary
that you make yourself less available (up to a point). This is the
art of helping others understand your importance.
The Value
of Independence
To master
your work and to make the most of it, you must plan for independence.
It is a delicate game, but the commitment to an abstract institution or
an especially important person can become (and often is) a problem.
Commitment requires a reciprocal relationship. Your value is only
as important as someone who desires your presence. Commitment without
sincerity only leads to a one-way power play. Take a step back and
see what happens, and you will realize the value of independence and its
powerful effect on your ability to get things done. This is lesson
#10. This is an important lesson to learn.
Think Before
You Act
Everyone knows
that we gain little by showing emotions, but on occasion that is exactly
what we do. Instead of thinking before we speak, instead of taking
a step back, and instead of not saying anything, we do everything wrong.
We step forward in an aggressive manner, and we say too much of the wrong
things. Lesson #11: We need to think before we act.
It is always better to engage in the obliging conversation, thus deflecting
hostility and negative thinking. Stepping back and giving the other
person more room to express his or her ideas also helps to avoid stirring
up resentment. It is also a matter of controlling the conversation
by making the decision to not get involved in distasteful conversations.
Believe
in Yourself
Most of what
we accomplish in life is directly a function of our own thinking.
If we think we can do something, we generally do. This is lesson
#12. There are exceptions. But, it is within us the capacity
to think right about our abilities or the failure to do so. Our minds
can either keep us down or set the stage for bringing together all the
important elements necessary to realize our goals or dreams. Believe
that your ideas are timely and have purpose, and your will see them come
to life. The trick is too believe 100% in your ability to do what
you say you will do, even should there be a small question of how it will
be done in the back of your mind. That is just the way the mind works.
Do not concern yourself with doubts. Most importantly, expect to
accomplish great things and you will.
Summary
The central
concern of this article is that, at first glance, keeping a job is easy.
The actual truth is that every job requires a lot of work, and I suspect
that failing to keep a job may have been prevented by understanding and
applying one or more of the lessons just outlined. What this article
is really concerned with is how young professionals can stay employed.
The common notion that going to work everyday and not missing a meeting
is not enough. A great many people do just that. It is not
enough. Doing everything possible for the employer does not work
either, especially when expecting the boss to make the connection.
Sometimes, yes, but time-after-time the answer is flat out “no”.
Employers will work you until you drop and, then, replace you with the
next heartbeat. The most direct evidence about how to keep your job
comes from employees who have worked for years. The result of what
they did or did not do has been shared in a number of different forums.
When time permits, purchase the book written by Robert Greene and Joost
Elffers (1). The title of the book is “The 48 Laws of Power”.
You will find it extremely interesting and well-written. The authors
are expects in the subject. They understand all to well that power
is a game, and I suspect they, too, understand that “keeping your job is
a game”. The lessons I have written about in this brief article should
help you play the game to insure that you win.
References
1. Greene,
R. & Elffers, J. (1998). The 48 Laws of Power. New York,
NY: Viking Penguin.