TEN COMMANDMENTS OF KEEPING YOUR JOB by William T. Simmons
Many readers of Texas Business Today will remember an article from the second quarter 1997 issue called “The 10 Commandments of Firing”. After that article came out, we received many suggestions, some meant seriously, some in jest, that we do a similar article on ways to keep a job. Here it is – we hope that it will prove useful to both employers and employees.
- Be on time, whether it is with showing up for work, returning from breaks, going to meetings, or turning in assignments.
- Call in if you know you will be tardy or absent. Most companies treat absences or tardiness without notice much more seriously than simple absence or tardiness.
- Try your best always finish an assignment, no matter how much you would rather be doing something else. It is always good to have something to show for the time you have spent.
- Anticipate problems and needs of management – your bosses will be grateful, even if they do not show it
- Show a positive attitude – no one wants to be around someone who is a “downer”.
- Avoid backstabbing, office gossip, and spreading rumors – remember, what goes around comes around – joining in the office gossip may seem like the easy thing to do, but almost everyone has much more respect for people who do not spread stories around.
- Follow the rules. The rules are there to give the greatest number of people the best chance of working together well and getting the job done.
- Look for opportunities to serve customers and help coworkers. Those who would be leaders must learn how to serve.
- Avoid the impulse to criticize your boss or the company. It is easy to find things wrong with others – it is much harder, but more rewarding, to find constructive ways to deal with problems. Employees who are known for their good attitude and helpful suggestions are the ones most often remembered at performance evaluation and raise review time.
- Volunteer for training and new assignments. Take a close look at people in your organization who are “moving up” – chances are, they are the ones who have shown themselves in the past to be willing to do undesirable assignments or take on new duties.
William T. Simmons | Legal Counsel to Commissioner Ron Lehman,Texas Workforce Commission | Excerpted with permission Second & Third Quarters|1998 of TexasBusiness Today