Young, old, or in between. Gay, straight, trans, bi, binary, non-binary. University educated or drop-out. Experienced with skills, inexperienced with zero skills. Barriered or non-barriered. Full-time, part-time, or volunteer.
We are all different. When it comes to working though, we all share some basic ground rules. These universal rules transcend culture or generations. Some are hidden, some are overt, but all are immutable.
You must be MOTIVATED to work. You, not your spouse, not your parents, not your friends, not your social worker – You. Some work for money, some work because they have responsibilities, some owe money, and some work for the intrinsic rewards they gain from working and making a difference. Whatever the reason, you cannot succeed without motivation.
You must be RELIABLE. Your employer has hired you to fulfill a need in their organization, they are counting on you to deliver what you promised. Reliable means showing up every day whether you feel like working or not. Reliable also means consistently doing the best work you are capable of on any and every day.
You must be DETERMINED. You cannot apply for a perfect job because they do not exist in a “perfect” form in the beginning. All of us must work at developing a good job into a better job and then into the perfect job through determination.
Everyone must DELIVER VALUE to the organization. Value takes many forms but essentially to succeed we must justify or earn our spot every day. You will have days and even weeks where you do not feel like working, everyone will and does, ensure during these times that you continue to deliver enough value.
Although standards vary widely, within every organization, its members must DRESS, ACT, AND BEHAVE APPROPRIATELY. Whether casual or strictly professional, an organization expects its people to comply with its standards.
RESPECT AND DIGNITY are not just ground rules; they are necessary and an intrinsic part of our society and workplaces. Your co-workers all deserve to expect you to contribute.
You will have good and bad supervisors and managers in your career. As with your co-workers, each of them deserves RESPECT AND DIGNITY. Make the effort to learn about them, and see yourself through their eyes, if this is impossible, you may need to look for another job.
While customers and clients may believe they are always right, you will discover that this axiom is not always true; regardless, everyone your organization interacts with should receive RESPECT AND DIGNITY from you.
You deserve to be treated with RESPECT AND DIGNITY. Although most people have to work to earn a living, each of us has fundamental rights and should be free of harassment, violence, and discrimination. You deserve to feel like you belong.
Learn how to ADVOCATE for yourself within the parameters of your organization. For those of us experiencing barriers, we must learn to ask for reasonable accommodations. We also have a responsibility to participate and contribute.
You must be PREPARED AND WORK while you are on the clock. It is a reasonable expectation that you will be ready to work when your shift begins and you will continue to work, except for breaks, until the end of your shift. Your cell phone is off, you are focused on your assigned tasks, and you are avoiding other distractions.
You are expected to work equally hard whether you are being WATCHED OR NOT. Consider, the amount of compensation you will earn in your career is inversely proportional to the amount of supervision you require.
You must follow the COMPANY POLICIES even if you do not agree with them. When you agree to join an organization, you agree to abide by its legal rules.
To succeed, learn how to ACCEPT CRITICISM. None of us is perfect, we all make mistakes, and we may not understand an assignment or instructions; eventually, we are going to be criticized. Learning to accept and incorporate criticism positively is a key component of becoming better and succeeding.
You must LEARN HOW TO FAIL as much as you learn to succeed. As a society, as a culture, and as people, rarely do we appreciate failure as something that should be encouraged. Our ability to grow, learn, and adapt depends on our reaction to failing as does our resilience to regroup and try again.
THEFT IS NOT PERMITTED. Stealing encompasses more than the theft of money or products; theft can involve time, trust, and even reputation.
NOBODY OWES YOU A LIVING. A job is not a right, it has to be earned. Disagreeing with this point doesn’t change that reality. Despite our social safety net, appreciating that we have to rely on ourselves, our family, our friends, our coworkers, and our employers to survive can provide a necessary sense of humility.
You have the right to CHANGE JOBS. Employers expect us to follow these ground rules, but that does not excuse them from following the same rules. A job is not a life sentence, people grow, acquire skills, and their priorities change and they will change jobs.
If you are stuck, confused, or experiencing issues; ASK FOR HELP or clarification.
You can be FIRED. Anyone can be fired at any time. There are employment standards organizations must adhere to. Sometimes people are laid off, sometimes companies close or downsize, and sometimes people are fired for not following these ground rules.
LIFE ISN’T FAIR. Bad things happen to good people. The wrong people get promotions. Some people start off in better situations. Regardless, we all have to define our purpose and what our role is; no one can tell you that. While these statements are true, it doesn’t mean that life isn’t or can’t be good nor do they preclude you from making a difference.
Some will argue that older generations need to adapt to the reality of younger generations. Unsurprisingly what has been common to every generation is that this statement has been made repeated throughout time. Remarkably, these twenty-one ground rules rarely change over time.
Are these rules fair? Are they reasonable, are they universal? You would be hard-pressed to find people anywhere who think these are unreasonable and not true.
Appreciating each generation has its strengths and weaknesses, it is a cold reality that whatever the traits of any generation – the world imposes ground rules on everyone, these twenty-one transcend everyone from pre-baby boomers to the latest and newest generational label. These ground rules are universal.
Good luck,
Paul.