Added Value

This may sound harsh, but it’s a tough world so get used to it.
In the bad old days (I did work through the 80s) I used to have a boss called Mike Owers, who used to joke (I think), “Your salary is not an attendance allowance”.
He had a point though.
We’re not there out of the goodness of your heart, and that pay cheque isn’t to say ‘thank you’ for showing up.
We need to make a difference. We all need to do more.
Turning up doesn’t cut it, neither does covering the bases. Think about what we can do to make the company you work for stand out. What will make you memorable? And additionally what will make you feel good when you go home at the end of the day.
If you seen The Devil Wears Prada, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. And if not, I recommend it. In particular, the harsh pep talk that sharp-tongued Art Director Stanley Tucci gives to Anne Hathaway when she bemoans her lack of progression.
To paraphrase, he points out that she isn’t really trying. Sure, she turns up, she works hard, and she tries hard. But she doesn’t really care. She’s not passionate about what she does:
He says “And what's worse, you don't care. Because this place, where so many people would die to work, you only deign to work.”
Most of us in our industry are fortunate enough to be in jobs that we love.
So why not show how much we love it by doing more? Accomplishing more?
Because I know for a fact we’ll enjoy it more.