HuberBlog ::Jason Huber

I have heard someone say or perhaps I read it somewhere: “Work like you don’t need to”. It went along with “Dance like no one is watching” or something like that. Well I certainly don’t dance well, but the work like you don’t need to part I have down. It isn’t that I don’t need to work or that I am lazy – that is far from the truth. I am a very productive employee and usually perform well on reviews etc. It is more of the perception of why I am working.

I know a person who has this down pat. We will call him John Smith. He is a good worker, great at what he does and overall someone you would want on your team. John gets paid well. In some cases much more than other people on the same project and it isn’t because of his work ethic or his performance. We have already established that he is good at what he does and is a good member of a team, but he makes a point of putting in the effort he wants to put in and no more – something we could all learn from.

Now let me make this clear. John is a good employee, in some cases better than the programmer sitting next to him that is doing everything he can to prove himself. John isn’t going to get burned out or aggravated over something, he just isn’t into it that much. He will get the job done in a reasonable timeframe and he will do it well – this is what we want out of John. So why pay him more than the guy next to him who is doing anything and everything he can for titles, and responsibility and recognition?

Because Johns manager thinks that John doesn’t need to be here. Johns manager thinks John is going to walk at any moment and he doesn’t want to lose someone who is a good member of the team. John doesn’t make anyone mad, he does his job well and that is it. But John puts on an air that he doesn’t need this job and will walk if the isn’t right.

So why does John do this? Well I wouldn’t put it past John to not have this all planned out, but he hasn’t told me that it is a plan, so I am not sure. I think the benefits he gets from this are: 1. His working schedule 2. Extra money or vacation or whatever else he wants from his employer. He has it going both ways. He gets the money etc he needs to enjoy his time off and he gets to do what he wants, within reason, while at work. If you have to work you might as well make it the way you want it.

So John works like he doesn’t need to. Does John need to? Yes he does. I know he does and he knows he does and if someone would take a look at Johns overall situation you would see he is not unlike anyone of us with a family and a home. He needs to work – but just don’t tell Johns employer. Can you work like you don’t need to? Would it provide enjoyment to you? I bet it would.

Take the guy sitting next to John. Getting paid nearly as much, but kissing butt all day and trying to prove something is exhausting and it doesn’t serve the purpose I am proposing is the purpose of work: “To enjoy the time you have to yourself.” It does the opposite. It tells your manager that you need this job and will do anything to keep it. Is it a fine line to walk? Perhaps.