Good work ethics.

There are some people who will always wish they can go to to work in the morning and do nothing till it is closing time.

This set of people always shout for joy when there is a no work to do. Maybe there is a maintenance going on, network issues or no customers. They wish it lasts for a while.... They don't give a shit about the firm.

I was in the staff bus Two days ago. We were on our way to work. As we approached the areas where truck drivers load finished products, I saw several people straining their necks like tolotolo to see if the loading bays were jam-packed with trucks.

When I first joined the firm, I see them do it often but I had no idea what it was all about. My first take on it was that they were the trying to see how much work they had to do.

Once they see that the loading bays are empty, they start pumping their fists. They whine on how hard it was for them in the past week and why those on the other shifts should do all the work. If it was a night shift, they will quickly point out how they needed to sleep all night without being disturbed.

The shocking thing is that they do it everyday and always display their being averse to work without considering the firm at all.

I just wonder why they can't stay in their houses and sleep if they ain't ready for work.

Sadly, this is not my first time of experiencing such attitude. While at the bank, I have seen my colleagues happy when we experience IT issues. They silently pray that the issue won't be resolved on time. Even some of the supervisors do same. I used to wonder why people have such mindset about work.

I know that most jobs are hectic. When I was at the bank, I worked 12 hour days.... I still do in my current job. But it is not an excuse to avoid work. Our job pays our bills and the company's operations tend to generate the money from wish our salaries are paid. It simply means that if the bank can't function or if my firm doesn't produce enough for the market, they won't have money to pay salaries.

I wonder if people make the connection. Even if the welfare of a company is poor, the fact that they accepted their terms and conditions of employment means they know what they were getting into. It is not right to blame the company for their laziness.

The work ethics of many Nigerians is very very poor. Our attitude to work is something that needs to be addressed. It's shocking that many people prefer to just get paid. They don't care about the company they work for. They don't even bother about how much they are contributing to the company's objectives. The only thing on their mind is to get paid.

It's not surprising that it is one of the reasons why some employers are adopting productivity for pay formulae. What this means is that you don't get paid without meeting certain targets. It may seem harsh, but many firms now realise the games some of their employees play. So they are trying to device a means of paying only for productivity.

Others introduced appraisals systems that are used to judge the employee's performance at the end of the business year. You sit down with your superior and set targets for the year. At the end of the year, you are appraised based on your attainment of the targets that were set.

As an employee especially one hoping to be an employer if labour, how much are you giving back to your firm? Can you beat your chest at the close of work each day and say

"I have earned my pay for today?"

"I have done my best today"

Can you go home with the knowledge that you day has been fruitful and productive?

Can you confidently say that you have contributed your quota to the objectives set for your unit at the beginning of the business year?

This should be regular questions we need to ask ourselves. As long as we work for someone or an organization, we owe it to them to earn our pay. Praying for the company's operations to suffer so you can have less work to do is a show of disloyalty.

The way to the top is not for those with such mindset especially in the private sector where things are appraised professionally against set standards.

Choose to be different. Develop a strong work ethic and give your best anywhere you find yourself. Have a good attitude to work. The pay may not be good. But you are building yourself up. What you learn on the job and your experiences will prepare you for greater challenges and will enable you become a better person when you eventually own your own firm.

Happy Weekend to you all.