New Wineskins
If you’re tired of the same routine: dragging yourself into work Monday morning, fighting through the long afternoon hours, counting down until the next day off, here are three simple things you can do to begin to make a difference where you work.
1. Work for more than a paycheck. If money is your bottom-line, then you’re simply reflecting the values of the world around you. Be about more than just dollar signs. Businesses that do that can make a huge difference. Chick-fil-A has been criticized for years for closing on Sundays. Sunday is a huge business day, and they’re missing out on profits. But they’ve said for years that they’re about more than just profits. They want to honor the Sabbath and safeguard the long-term wellbeing of their employees. And guess which quick service chain is rated top in customer satisfaction? The one not simply going after profits. Everyone else works for a paycheck. Be different. Work for something more.
2. View work as an opportunity to change a life. Every day you go to work, you have an opportunity to change a life. It may be a co-worker, it may be a customer, it may be your boss. Every day you interact with people, you have an opportunity to impact people. Don’t grind out your days hiding behind a computer terminal. Don’t mentally disappear whenever possible. You can change lives every day, no matter what job you have. Look for opportunities and lean into the ones you already have. That’s when your job moves from salary to significance.
3. Be the example you want to see. Even if you’re in a toxic work environment, be the change you want to see. I know you probably have a list a mile long of why everyone else around you is idiots, why your boss is an idiot. Be different. Be better than that. Raise the bar for yourself first. Work hard. Be the best employee in your business. Slowly but surely, you’ll begin to change things.
Today isn’t just another Monday, it’s an opportunity to set the climate for your work. Go do it!
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