Yes, I Can't

I was taught that work ethic mattered. I remember my father saying that if you work hard and do a good job, you'll be rewarded not just monetarily but with the respect of your employer and peers. Today, about 20 years after I got my first real job, I consider this a quaint idea that is more of a personal principle than accepted truth. I show up for work early, stay late, do more than I'm asked. I don't always get the gratitude I expect, but I keep doing it anyway, because I like what I do, even if I'm more jaded and cynical about the whole career experience.

Not everybody is going to be as committed, for different, good reasons. I understand. But we all signed up knowing we don't do a normal eight-hour-a-day job. So what I don't get is this special class of people that I've seen lately -- those who can somehow rationalize the dissonance between their lack of effort and the entitlement to promotion and reward. I'm not talking about ass kissers who suck up to the boss. People I have in mind don't even go to that trouble. They have such a high opinion of their own talent and intellect (and are so self-absorbed, or delusional, take your pick), that their superiority ought to be self-evident to the rest of us. Try to get them to work though, and the answer is always a passive aggressive “Yes, I can't” list of excuses accompanied by a glare that says personal offense has been taken.

I'm appalled by this. I cannot respect these people. And I work with one of these prize winners. This golden boy's favorite tactic is to play off one priority against another, and meanwhile he has to be begged to do the minimum. “I've never said no to anything I was asked to do, but I can't do that because I was asked to do this first. There are only so many hours in the day. Blah. Blah. Blah.“ Well boo hoo. Cry me a river. Tell me the dog ate your homework. Tell somebody who cares. He says this to me obliviously, as I'm doing my job and two others.

He shows up at 8:59, takes long lunches, even disappears for an hour or two, and on a good day stays an extra half hour, maybe 45 minutes. And at the same time, he told the head of our section that he wants a Superior Honor Award, which is requires you to bust your ass in extraordinary circumstances. I doubt he's going to get it. As I was told, “He's a real 9-5 guy. Too bad we work 9-6.”

Maybe I'm naive. Maybe I'm old school. Maybe somebody should kick him in the ass to see if any work comes out.