Beyond the "I Love Lucy" Work Ethic

Recently a friend and co-worker posted an article on Facebook about “work ethic”. It was an interesting, albeit, controversial article and it elicited many comments, mine included.

So what is the deal with work ethic and just why does it twist the knickers of so many people?

Apparently if you grew up in my grandparents generation you didn’t necessarily have to have experience or education in your chosen field, you just needed a decent “work ethic”; which, as near as I can gather, required a can-do attitude, good old fashion optimism, a willingness to work with your hands, and according to many old training films I found on YouTube, a pack of smokes. Hey, it was a different time and everyone smoked!

Are these things bad or useless in today’s workforce? With the exception of the cigarettes, jeepers no!

Positive attitude and a desire to do your job well are still very important. The difference is the nature of our work. Remember that episode of I love Lucy? You know, the one where she's sitting at the conveyer belt and desperately trying to get the chocolate wrapped? While I'm totally down with stuffing my pie-hole full of chocolate for the sake of my job, today a lot more of us can relate with the cubicle dwelling Dilbert vs. Lucy at the candy factory. Although technically the U.S. is still No. 1 in manufacturing we are moving toward a more knowledge-based economy and with this change comes a change in the way we work. Our jobs don't necessarily require us to be there from 9 to5 and often I find they require us to work with more than just our hands.

I have to admit I feel incredibly offended when I hear someone talk about how kids these days don't have a good work ethic. Not only does that statement sound incredibly ignorant it's also completely untrue. And for the record, I’m hardly a kid anymore and I’ve got the grey hair to prove it.

When my grandfather clocked in, it was from 9 to 5. At 5 o'clock he went home, ate dinner, played with his kids, watched a little TV, kissed my grandmother goodnight and woke up at 7 the next morning to do it all over again.

Things are bit different for me. I wake up at 7 a.m. also and while I typically work in the office, it's pretty rare that I put in a 9 to 5 workday. Oh believe me, I put in my 8 hours they just aren't THOSE hours. In fact, I think about work constantly and often find myself doing work, away from work at all sorts of odd hours and in very untraditional places. Instead of sitting at my desk writing, I take work home. I’ve worked from the comfort of my bed, from the discomfort of the ER, and from the local park while my son is at soccer practice. In fact it's 1:25 a.m. and I am at home curled up on the couch writing this.

Today’s workforce and in turn the companies we work for, are seeing the benefits of this approach. We’re more productive and those of us that can work offsite are happier. I can attend my kids’ school fieldtrips and still be more productive than in a traditional office setting because I can work during the hours that I am more productive. Oddly enough, those hours tend to be very early in the morning or very late at night. What can I say, I’m a night owl.

What makes it possible for me to do a great deal of my job away from the office? As technology progresses, the workplace and the tools we use evolve. Thank Zeus for the interwebz! I can attend a meeting using GoToMeeting, I can connect with my coworkers through MSN Messenger, and I can collaborate on a project using Smartsheet.com or any number of collaborative apps out there. And I can do it all in the comfort of my own home, dressed like a slob without an ounce of make up on. Now, that my friend is what I call progress.

If that offends the old school work ethic crowd so be it.