when you work for a man

Years ago, most offices had a saying taped somewhere on the walls. It could have been near the photocopier, near the coffee pot, or near the water cooler, where everyone was supposed to hang out. (Funny, I’ve never seen people gather around any water cooler where I worked.)

These words were a motivational saying that appeared when the copy repairman arrived. When he repaired the photocopiers, the man needed something with words and graphics to test the photocopier, and he brought his own pages with him. She gave a copy of the motivational quote for the week or month to the receptionist or secretary before she left, and she usually made a few copies, one for the boss, who eventually posted it somewhere prominent, and one for each of them. his closest companions. -workers. In every office where I worked, in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Texas, there were copies of this saying. It began, “If you work for a man, work for him…”

Long ago, my last withered, wrinkled, and yellowed copy of those words disappeared from my personal files. The gist of the message, of course, was how it started. If you work for a man, work for him. Give him -or your work- the attention it deserves, since he -or the company- is paying you to work.

Searching the internet I found two quotes similar to the ones that graced offices and break rooms of the past.

If you work for someone, work for him: Speak well of him and support the institution he represents. Remember, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of intelligence. If you have to snarl and condemn and find fault forever, give up his position and when you’re outside, complain to the bottom of your heart. But as long as you are part of the institution, do not condemn it.

~Elbert Hubbard

When you work for a man, work for him. Give him your dedication, honesty, sincerity and 100% of your skills. If you must condemn him, do it from outside; give it up and then condemn it to high heaven if that is your wish. But while you’re serving him, don’t do or say anything negative about or to him.

~James Ellis Dolan

The second version is more like the one we had in offices across the country.

Today, we need this quote or something similar posted in offices, retail stores, and fast food restaurants. We need words like these everywhere today, at least in the United States. The customer service and loyalty of the company is really lacking.

It would be a good idea if we incorporated words like these into our education system and shared them during new employee orientation and training. I wonder, though, if it would make a difference. These words may not be specific enough for today’s employees. We may need to explain what is and is not appropriate behavior for an employee.

When you work for a man, work for him. Give it your best. Don’t spend time checking personal emails, creating listings for personal singles websites, or doing your internet shopping at work. The working day belongs to the man or the company that pays you, and you get paid to do a job, not to do your personal business. Company phones, copiers, fax machines and computers are there for company business. If you must talk on the phone, try to do it at lunch or coffee break.

~Marilyn MacKenzie

I wonder if having words like these posted prominently would really make a difference? When customer service or loyalty issues arise in the workplace, employees nod their heads up and down in agreement. They agree that Joe, Charlie, and Susan really should do better. But they don’t seem to understand that the reprimand is for all employees.

On their days or nights off, they get quite annoyed with the receptionist at the beauty salon because she is talking on the phone with her boyfriend, paying no attention to the customers. They get mad at the convenience store clerk for using the phone for personal calls. They hate it when the cashier and bagger are in an argument and ignore the needs of the customers.

Then, when they get back to their own jobs, they let the phone ring and ring, allowing calls to be transferred to their voicemail. They spend the first thirty minutes of the day checking their own personal emails. When your kids get home from school, instead of just taking a quick call, they spend thirty minutes talking.

At any time of the day, employees can be in the middle of important personal calls, with collection agencies, potential future employers, or with their children. But that’s different. It’s the other employees who have the problem of not working as hard or fast or for as long as they should.

What happened to those dreaded efficiency experts? Do you remember them? If you were to visit today’s offices, stores, restaurants, and other businesses, would you find efficiency? Or would they find that today’s average employee only works about five hours out of a scheduled eight-hour shift? I think we all know the answer. Today’s employee has forgotten that when she works for a man, she must work for him.