Roots at Work
There are two types of jobs you can have; one where you’re paid for your time and one where you’re paid for what you provide.
A good example of the former is someone who works at the customer service desk in a department store. He is there in case any customers come along and need help. If no one needs help, he still deserves his pay, because his job is to be there, period. This person does not have to think about what he should start doing, he only has to wait for someone to ask him to start doing something, then he must do it, and later he can go back to waiting again.
Most people employed in the services industry are paid in a corresponding manner, by the hour.
A doctor is another example of someone working in the services industry, and they are paid not only for their time, but also for their equipment, their office space, their signature, etc. But still, they are on an itemized pay scheme.
The rest of the jobs, and probably most jobs which pay a fixed salary, are not so well defined. In fact, I don’t even have a good word to describe the industry. I shall use "professional" although it is not the word I would like to use.
In most of these jobs you are employed to play a certain role in a company. A project manager is a good example. You may be given a description of your role just once, and after that you are expected to make decisions and take action in order to provide the results that should be provided through your role. You must think about what you should start doing and do it. You are most likely expected to recognize what others ought to be doing as well. In order to understand your own role, you have to understand the roles of everyone else you interact with.
Many people in professional jobs are very confused about this system. They mistake the idea of “management” for the itemized pay scheme of the services industry. They sit around and wait to be told what to do, and they’re very surprised when their contribution is questioned. They believe that if no one has asked them to do anything, they still deserve their pay, because their job is to be there.
Actually, they are in the wrong career.
To be continued…
A good example of the former is someone who works at the customer service desk in a department store. He is there in case any customers come along and need help. If no one needs help, he still deserves his pay, because his job is to be there, period. This person does not have to think about what he should start doing, he only has to wait for someone to ask him to start doing something, then he must do it, and later he can go back to waiting again.
Most people employed in the services industry are paid in a corresponding manner, by the hour.
A doctor is another example of someone working in the services industry, and they are paid not only for their time, but also for their equipment, their office space, their signature, etc. But still, they are on an itemized pay scheme.
The rest of the jobs, and probably most jobs which pay a fixed salary, are not so well defined. In fact, I don’t even have a good word to describe the industry. I shall use "professional" although it is not the word I would like to use.
In most of these jobs you are employed to play a certain role in a company. A project manager is a good example. You may be given a description of your role just once, and after that you are expected to make decisions and take action in order to provide the results that should be provided through your role. You must think about what you should start doing and do it. You are most likely expected to recognize what others ought to be doing as well. In order to understand your own role, you have to understand the roles of everyone else you interact with.
Many people in professional jobs are very confused about this system. They mistake the idea of “management” for the itemized pay scheme of the services industry. They sit around and wait to be told what to do, and they’re very surprised when their contribution is questioned. They believe that if no one has asked them to do anything, they still deserve their pay, because their job is to be there.
Actually, they are in the wrong career.
To be continued…
posted by Amy at
1:39 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home