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Take a lesson from you elders.

Many people refer to our generation as generation me or the entitled generation; and I see why.  

My company has a high turnover rate of young professionals whom have recently graduated.  A coworker and I were recently discussing this because it is a frustrating situation to be involved in.  Evolving from the goldstar controlled environment to a work environment that we are unprepared for, and that is mostly unprepared for us, is difficult.  We go from a world where there are clear concise rules, and those who do not follow them are punished, and those who do are rewarded, no matter what.  Instead of using fear of punishment as a motivation for doing good work the hopes for praise and glorification are the main motivator.  No longer does the intrinsic value of having done a good job mean enough.  

What I don't understand is that as the business world is becoming increasingly flat and the work pool is growing exponentially people look to develop skills that will give them an edge over their competition (per se) such as learning foreign languages, participating in internships, being involved with extra curricular activities, and developing their leadership sills, many overlook the most basic skill of how to be a good worker.

If becoming an adult is about growing through facing adversity and new situations, then why do we expect to enter the workforce and have employers bend over backwards to accommodate our different way of having been raised? If you're a good worker and seen as a value to your company they will bend over backwards for you; and give a 5 month sabbatical. 

How can we be stronger workers if we can't function happily without the constant need for glorification of our work.

Today I drove about 300 miles into a white abyss, only being able to see one quarter mile ahead of me at a time.  Though it was unsavory driving conditions, it provided a revelation of sorts for me.   It is like entering the real world, you may have an idea of where you end destination is, but getting there hasn't been planned out perfectly; it is foggy.  There are two paths you can take, the highway or the gravel road.  The highway is safer, the roads are wider and there is less cross traffic.  It has road indicators that aren't present on gravel roads.  The stripes on the inside of the road can be a major indicator of the road orientation.  There are also more stops (gas stations, fast food, rest stops) but it isn't as elite.  Anyone can the highway; it takes a certain type of person to master the gravel road.  The gravel road has no center strip, it has no guaranteed security of a gas station at every exit, or visible and safe cross roads.  People who take the gravel road can be seen as mavericks, leaders who pave their own way.  Unskilled folks who chose to pursue the gravel road don't just risk getting lost, they might hit a low point and flip their vehicle, they might breakdown and not see another vehicle for another hour, and when there is bad weather, well if you aren't use to the conditions, well you're just plane old screwed. 

So why, when you're just out of college and the path is foggy,  is it really worth taking the gravel road, so that someday down the road you may receive praise because you overcame that adversity of taking the gravel road, or is it wiser to take the highway until the weather clears up, and then jump on the gravel road, safer, with more assets, and pass the hoosier who started off on the gravel.

Hunting for great deals

In past years I would have woken at 4 am, showered in just water, gear up and headed out to my stand, but not this year.  Today I woke at 4 am, showered, geared up and headed out to the mall to perform what I refer to as my economic-patriotic duty.  Black Friday.

When I lived in Italy there use to be commercials on TV which would show a person walking out a store with a bag, which as the camera panned down, would read 'the economy revolves around you'.  The camera then panned up to the person walking with their head held hide, implying that they were full of pride at the thought of them being personally responsible for the success of their countries economy. 

As I was standing in line at Best Buy, behind about 120+ people, I couldn't help but wonder if it was worth splurging on this single day of doorbusters and great deals, due to the impending credit card debt which ensues any large purchase charged; or many smaller purchases.  I noticed that a majority of the people whom were in line around me charged their purchases, presumably because they lack the discretionary income to actually purchase the product out right.  Does increasing an individual personal debt hurt the economy more, then actually help it?  After all, the economy does revolve around us.

mmm....decaying moral fiber

I am not intending to 'toot my own horn' but I have always attempted to maintain high morals.  I learned early that I was not raised in the same world that my peers were; with time I learned that to be a blessing.  I always try and take the extra step, go the extra distance, to get the job done.  When I view my fellow co-workers doing things the unethical lazy way I do not change mine to complete the job faster, I uphold the quality that is important, because I have faith that it will pay off someday.  When my coworkers show up two hours late, and take long lunches without paying the consequences I don't follow the same thinking that I will get off scotch free, because I will not be able to, my morals simply will not let me.

My moral fibers have been being tested as of late.   When I first started my job an older co-worker advised me to not worry about what other people do, to worry about myself.  He has more or less, appointed himself as the enforcing moral compass of our office.  The enforcing part is really more of a passive action; he just complains and makes snide comments behind the offenders back's.  The acting manager over these lax employees does nothing about these problems.  In his opinion the end result is that they get their job done, and they do, in the end, get their job done.  But how can they be working efficiently if they cut out four hours of their work day because they are late, or at lunch?  One of the aforementioned came in two and half hours late this week, and then left three hours early to go to a dentist appointment that he openly admitted didn't exist, after openly admitting that he intended to come in late.

This happens daily, people come in late, the moral advocate takes time out of his day to complain about the 'offenders' and then work continues, until they leave early, and then the complaining is reborn.  My manager is like the gravity that keeps me in orbit around my morals, but he is gone this week.

Yesterday I was talking to the lead offender, who is just four years older then me, and he justified his lax work ethics by pointing out others flaws.  As I was contemplating taking the day off to drive home for Thanksgiving I thought about my impending sabbatical less then a month away, and how much work I can still complete in that time, and I decided to take half a day off, instead of the entire day.  Those external pressures haven't inhibited my ethics, yet.

How long can one hold out in the corporate world before their morals face genocide?

My pocket protector doesn’t make me nerdy, it increases my productivity.

I can’t be considered a nerd anyway; I don’t have a pencil in my pocket protector. This was the justification I gave to my HR person today. She just laughed and walked away. I actual have a ruler (with a sliding clip), a small flat head screwdriver, three pens (two black one blue), and a green highlighter.

Leaving my beer-pong championship days behind I have leaped head first into the idea of being as productive as I possibly can. It is as though I’m attempting to now make up for how undedicated, unorganized, unproductive, inefficient and unmotivated I have been since, well, since I can remember. Taking courses at one of the Big Ten universities before I could drive didn’t really instill the necessity for good study habits in me.

Two weeks into my employment here I was overwhelmed with all the work, projects, and meetings that I needed to keep track of, so I bought a planner.

Three weeks into my employment I purchased a PDA. I chose a Palm Tungsten E2. I chose a PDA over a Black Berry for personal reasons; mainly peer pressure (from those friends still at school) to not be seen as nerdy. Just two weeks after my PDA had arrived my cell phone lost its ability to hold a charge, and therefore function, so I should have just sucked it up and purchased the black berry. Either way, it was a huge upgrade from my overstuffed planner.

I have now developed a game plan for this forthcoming mega-revamp of my entire life. New place, new people, new situation, I might as well add new habits to that list.

Organize. I took all my stuff and created a home for it, maybe not the cleanest more well placed home, but it was a home none the less.
Purge. When there was a home for everything, and everything was in its home I began to go through it and purge what I didn’t need. Articles and notes from courses I have previously taken were scanned into my computer and organized using the Campus Productivity kit in filemaker. I was able to reduce about 80 magazines to two CD’s containing back up files.
Reorganize. I utilized various storage methods, mostly small, open top, plastic boxes. By keeping everything put away I was able to free up a lot of space, which would have otherwise been consumed my pils of unorganized papers. If I needed an article I would have to spend 45 + minutes searching through magazines, whereas now I pull up my database, and select the .pdf I need.
Maintain. So I don't have to do it again.

For those of you who are familiar with Industrial business I am 5s-ing my life.

Yes, that’s a tin next to my pocket protector.

While I was up north this weekend I made a life changing revelation; you can’t hide who you are, even from yourself.

My best friend I were at a party playing beer pong. She came back from getting the house pitcher filled and I could tell she was irate; we don’t actually need to talk to each other anymore to know something is up. She points to this scrawny guy in the corner wearing flip flops and camo pants, and informs me that he offended her. She used other words then offended. He had apparently told her to shut up when she was at the keg trying to fill the house pitcher up. After dominating another two games of pong this jerk makes his way over by us. The other team makes a cup, and my friend pours it down his sweatshirt while he isn’t looking. He blames me and starts calling me extremely rude names, and I snap. I’m ready to give him a well deserved black eye but he starts running for the stairs to get out and my friend holds me back, I calm down and realize that you can’t hide redneck.

Two hours before that I was trying to convince people that I wasn’t suppose to be a nerd for Halloween; that I wasn’t actually dressed up at all.

Walking, or stumbling more of, home I thought about how I got to this point, where some people think I am a nerd and others find me intimidating. I use to be nerdy my freshman/sophomore year of high school. That all ended when I met my first real serious boyfriend. I came to enjoy this lifestyle; I have always been interested in mechanics and working with my hands (I’m a farmer’s daughter) so I adopted his back woods ways. I headed off to college to study Agriculture Engineering. According to most of my friends the only thing girly about me was my long, curly brown hair. I got the nickname Bubba, and soon after met my best friend Nutt. We are not like most girls. We have achieved ‘awesome’ status in the guy’s world; something many girls strive for and never get near, so most of them hate us. We have ourselves, and we’re not complaining. We met sophomore year of college, fresh out of long term relationships with ass holes, and discovered that we are pert near the same. We became each others momentum to live life to the fullest, and have a good time. We don’t deal with drama, or stupid girls who immediately get intimidated and don’t like us because we can hold a conversation with their boyfriend longer then they can. While we both date and have had our respective boyfriends we aren’t the kind of girls who can’t live without a boyfriend. We aren’t friends with the guys because we want them; we are friends with them because they share the same interests as us. We are generally considered redneck girls. We are ourselves, and we don’t apologize for that, and we don’t back down if there is trouble. We cowboy up and face it head on.

Then I got a job and entered the 'real world', where I dress professional, wear makeup, and do my hair everyday. My polo’s and dress shirts are all accompanied by my pocket protector (I’m not a nerd, I don’t have a pencil in it). I have adopted the idea that how you dress reflects on your competency. But it is not me, at least the me I use to be. I have been in sort of inner conflict, the nerdy me versus the redneck. I have noticed that when I dress nice I’m more approachable, have more self confidence, have a sense of belonging to the group, and feel more intelligent. Even at the party this previous weekend, besides when defending my outfit as not being a nerd costume, I talked to more new people then I ever have at a party. Generally when I have a dip in a few creepy guys will tell me that it is hot, but it tends to be off putting. This past weekend I had a dip in, and no one thought twice of it. I am more approachable, more confident, and more influential, because I have finally found myself, a nerdy redneck. I know who I am. Goodbye quarter-life crisis.