Let me tell you about my friend Ray…
On the one hand, a nice guy, quiet and soft-spoken, married with a sweet wife and a couple of well-mannered teenage boys. He worked as a mechanical engineer in product development for an equipment manufacturer. As far as I could tell, he was doing a good job.
On the other hand, he was very unhappy working for his boss. “He is always on my case!” So I asked Ray to give me examples. “My boss complains about my office is messy, but I know where everything is. He hates it when I make personal phone calls at work, but I get my work done. When I am late for work, he gets upset, but he doesn’t mind keeping me late. I need to find a better job!”
I sympathized with how Ray was feeling, but my career advice to him, before he starts looking for another job, was to do exactly as his boss asked for 30 days. “Let’s see if anything changes if you keep your office clean, make calls outside the office and always be on time. Think of it as an experiment, and let’s connect next month.”
A month later, we got back together. Ray started by saying “My boss has changed. He is complimentary and supportive … even happy. We get along great. My job is better than ever!”
Career Tip Lessons Learned
If you are anything less than fulfilled and fruitful in your job, you might be contributing to the problem without even realizing it.
If you are doing anything less than your very best in your work, you could be short-changing yourself, your employer and God. If you have a bad attitude about your job, your boss, your coworkers or any other aspect of your job, that attitude could be spilling over into your performance and relationships.
To maximize your career in your current job, consider this …
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.
It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:22-24
Does this describe you and how you work? Are you working heartily and with sincerity of heart? Are you serving God in your job? Maybe you are thinking, “Yeah, but you don’t know my boss.” You are right, but consider this …
… submit yourselves to your masters with all respect,
not only to those who are good and considerate but also to those who are harsh.
1 Peter 2:18
Improve Attitude and Positive Motivation
If “harsh” describes your boss, it is especially important to take your attitude, positive motivation and your performance to their highest. One way to improve your attitude and work performance are to evaluate and improve your character first. You may discover your situation changes for the better because you have changed how you are working.
If you find your current work situation too brutal and/or lacking in opportunity, then do your best in your current job and start exploring new careers and jobs. Get a copy of our “Created for Good Works” workbook and use it 3 ways:
- Online to search hotlinks
- In print to complete exercises
- With others to learn more
You can make bad work better!
