Work ethic

What do you think about when you think of work ethic? Do you think of someone who works hard for long hours? Someone who is always at the office? Someone who shows up early and stays late, putting in at least 45 – 50 hours each week?

I think this the common perception of a good work ethic, at least for the generation in front of me. I have had the luxury of spending much of my career running my own business or as a consultant; insulated from bosses who would tell me I have to work so many hours a week. Yet looking back I think I spent more hours in the office than most. Why? No one was driving me to do so. Towards the end of my secular career I spent about a year dreading going to work and for the first time in my life found I was tending to only put in my “40″ if I could (which was nearly never). Did my work ethic change?

No, my work ethic and philosophy have been constant since I was about 20; work is a gift from God to build us into who we were meant to be. I also manage this way. I have always encouraged those who work for me to invest in their careers; to learn and grow as much as they can. This is more than being in the office; its living life, experiencing new things, learning about the world around us and playing. This is when learning happens, not under the demand of a 50 hour office week. In fact, I would argue that the person who spends all their time in the office is not going to be as effective as the person who has a well rounded life.

Work doesn’t happen only in the office. Work isn’t only the tasks we complete. The post modern world we live in has moved past that and if we want to attract and retain the best young minds out there we must move past it as well. Let me encourage you to rethink work ethic and how you manage. If the greatest asset a company has is its people, then shouldn’t the focus be growing those assets as opposed to consuming them?