Fast Company Nov. 99 Does Your Job Work? by Pamela Kruger Page 181 Nathan Johnson

This article exemplifies what has gone wrong with the working world of America. We seem to have lost our sense of balance. We know longer value what is most important. Things like Life, Family, and Spiritual growth. Instead we have placed a premium on working harder to enhance our identity with others, self worth, and monetary gain. Now I am not advocating that doing a good job at work isnt important its just that things need to be kept in perspective.

Work is not everything, which the people in this article seemed to find out the hard way. The story revolves around a group of people who have their own personal story to tell about how they gave there all to the company and in the end got dumped on. They fell into deep states of depression, suffered anxiety attacks, and expressed concerns of being victims of an uncaring business world.

The psychologists observations from listening to these clients all point to a lack of caring relationships outside the place of employment. As people have let family, religious, and community ties break down, life outside the work place has become increasingly empty. Employees are looking to jobs to satisfy their emotional needs. As the psychologist tries to point out, work shouldnt be the only place where needs are met, your identity cant depend on your title at work.

The article discusses three signs that show how employees let work become to personal, controlling their whole existence. 1. Missing Work~ Putting work above all else, such as family, sickness, or social events, makes you a valuable employee. The psychologists take on this is that you are only setting yourself up for failure. If you give more of yourself to work than to you, trouble lies ahead. 2. Receiving Praise~ Some of the people in the group said they worked long hours because they loved their job. In actuality they loved and craved the praise they received for doing a good job. Praise is nice but it cant run your whole life. What happens when you work just as hard on a project that doesnt receive the accolades; does that mean you are a failure? I dont think so! You need to feel internal satisfaction from a job well done. 3. Closest friends are co-workers~ There is a danger when your whole support network is at the office. At work you are in a hierarchical situation where friendships can sour over promotions, special assignments received, or monetary raises.

Reflections

I shared this article with co-workers in my office and their response was that the people in the story needed to Get a Life. That work was never so important that it could ruin their life over getting laid off. Their attitude was if you lose that job, go find another. The identity of the person wasnt lost because of a change in employment.

I think working in extension could be difficult for those that dont have their own identity. If constant praise is required for self-esteem, I dont know that you will find it here. The organization is to large and spread out for people to be receiving that all the time. Even with the best programming you are not going to be receiving constant praise. You just have to take pride in what you do, realizing, that is enough!

-- Anonymous, November 24, 1999