A recent article by John Stancavage in the business section of Tulsa World titled Staying Focused at Work focused on a report published by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce that revealed that more than half of the companies surveyed for the report were “having difficulty to find people with a good work ethic or who can do their job without letting personal problems get in the way. ” Even very basic skills were lacking, such as being on time, staying focused, and adapting to changes. Other problems are those created by employees who are always having a crisis or another that prevents them from getting to work on time or distracts them after they arrive. All of these things have an impact on productivity, and since employee productivity is credited with helping the United States remain competitive in the global marketplace and there are fewer candidates for each position, it is an important issue to consider. approach.

“It’s not just staff members who have trouble concentrating on task,” writes Stancavage. “Managers do too, though often for different reasons. A recent survey by New Hampshire-based NFI Research found that 67 percent of top executives complained that email was distracting them from their jobs. Other problems included personal interruptions (31 percent) and shifting priorities (30 percent). “

I guess I’ve officially gotten old because I found myself thinking “back in the day” when I read this. I applied for my first job as a waitress at our local small-town restaurant when I was fifteen and a half years old. Thelma, the manager of the restaurant who hired me, said that I really shouldn’t hire anyone under the age of 16, but that we would keep quiet about it. She knew my family and thought that I would make a good employee because I would have a good work ethic, and she was right. I stayed at that job all through high school, working weekends and summers until I went to college.

The work ethic that Thelma was so sure she possessed was one that I learned from my parents. It included arriving at the restaurant about 15 minutes before my shift started so that when my shift actually started, I was ready to go to work. That didn’t allow for much sleep after a night out with friends. It meant putting in a full day’s work, which included finding other things to do when he wasn’t busy serving customers. Things like filling the salt and pepper shakers, cleaning tables and counters, sweeping, and even occasionally helping with the dishes. He was expected to keep up in a fast-paced environment, while maintaining a positive, friendly attitude and sense of humor. Honesty applied not only to managing money and supplies, but also to taking no more than my two 15-minute and one 30-minute meal breaks during my shift. Any personal problems I might be experiencing were left at home and when I got to work, I was expected to focus only on work. I didn’t think twice about my work ethic. That was how it was. Standing for most of an eight-hour shift was exhausting, but I was happy to have a job, earn my own money, buy my own car, and become more self-sufficient.

Perhaps today’s workplace is much more complicated than my workplace of many years ago, but I think the same principles should apply regarding having a good work ethic. People should get to work on time, have a good day at work, not take advantage of their employer, be honest, and leave their problems at home. What’s so difficult about that? If I could do those things before I’m old enough to have a driver’s license, I think we should expect adults in today’s workplace to do the same.