What’s Your Job?
by Dera DeRoche-Jolet

What’s your job? It sounds like one of those questions that should have a pretty easy answer. But it’s not always that simple. That’s because our jobs encompass more than just the physical part of what we do.

Our attitude toward our jobs is what really affects our answers. For instance, I once heard a story about three people at work on a construction site. All were doing the same job but when asked what his job was, each answer was different.

One said he was breaking rocks. The second said he was making a living. The third said he was helping to build a cathedral.

So what’s your job? Are you breaking rocks, making a living or helping to build a cathedral? How you see your job makes a big difference in your attitude and the quality of your work. It’s important to understand and see the big picture when performing a job. Some employees don’t know they are helping to build a cathedral. Others may not care.

I think it’s especially important in our industry. Some alarm company employees may think they are only running wires. Some may think they are simply installing an alarm system. Others may think they are helping to protect their customers and build peace of mind. Hopefully that last category describes you.

Whatever job you personally perform in your company, it’s important that you remind yourself that each job in the company is important and every worker can and should be proud of the company and what he or she is doing.

If you are a boss, supervisor or manager, you should constantly remind your employees of their worth and the big picture. Too many companies fail or come close to failing, in part, because they lost sight of what made them successful and what they were really doing. They were just breaking rocks rather than helping to build a cathedral.

If that describes you or your company, it’s not too late. There’s no reason that you can’t get back to helping to build that cathedral. Unfortunately, too many employees don’t make it because they failed to restore their attitude and approach to their work and their customers. A job can be like a new romance. When the newness of a job wears off, it’s easy for it to become commonplace and to take it for granted or even worse, for it to become drudgery. That’s why it’s particularly important for companies to go through a renewal process. Of course, for companies to be renewed, owners, supervisors, managers and employees must be personally renewed.

Following are a couple of questions to think about:

* Are you earning your pay?
* What are your priorities on a daily basis and what is most important to you?
* Why are you doing what you are doing?
* Are you going in the direction you personally want to go in?
* Do you feel good about your job and your company?
* Is your stress level too high, too low, or just right?
* Are you offering your company new ideas and new suggestions on how to
make things better?

If you’re staying in a job you’re not happy with, hoping it will get better without trying to renew your commitment, you’re holding back your company and it’s time to change jobs.

It’s time to do something. Step back and take stock of how things are going for you and the company you work for. You might have to accept a new responsibility, or take on new challenges and new opportunities.

At the very least, we all need to refresh our energy level, thirst for learning, feeling of pride in what we are accomplishing and our long and short-term goals. If you’re not happy on a personal level, it’s doubtful that you will be happy at work. And it’s a sure bet you’re not helping to build a cathedral.