Flexibility & Independence? Security?

You know, it seems to me much is being said and written these days about employee behavior.  Truth be told, most of the commentary I see is more negative than positive.  That negativity takes a turn for the worse when the topic shifts to managers: 

All good work is done in defiance of management. 

Bob Woodward 

OK… maybe it’s me. I mean, are you seeing the dominance of these workplace sound bites? The  “great resignation”; “quiet quitting”; “return to office refusal”; “more work-life balance”; “lack of diversity, equality, and inclusion”?

Yes, I’m old and retired from fulltime work now (but I’m not dead HaHa!).  In 2022, I joined the “gig economy”.  When you Google, “What is a gig economy?” you’ll find: 

A gig economy is a labor market that relies heavily on temporary and part-time positions filled by independent contractors and freelancers rather than full-time permanent employees. Gig workers gain flexibility and independence but little or no job security. 

Whalla!  Flexibility and independence stand apart from job security.  It’s considered either/or. 

When I was an employee I wanted security; a regular paycheck; benefits; training; a career path; etc.  I hoped for a manager with people skills but when I worked for one of those managers, I tried to hang-in. 

Of course, I had the option of flexibility and independence available - freelancing; independent contracting; “consulting” (God forbid!): 

A consultant is someone who saves his client almost enough to pay his fee. 

Arnold H. Glasgow 

I selected the consulting option a couple of times (at the expense of security).  Those experiences helped me understand that fulltime employment better fit my disposition.  All along, I wasn’t conscious of why I wanted to be a good employee. 

I was also a manager for several years in my career.  I wanted “good employees” working for me, but what do they look like? 

Employers are looking for people who can do more than follow procedures competently or respond to requests, who have a strong, intrinsic desire to learn, solve problems, and ask penetrating questions.  They may be difficult to manager at times, these individuals, for their interests and enthusiasms can take them along unpredictable paths, and they don't respond well to being told what to think.  But for the most part, they will be worth the difficulty. 

                   Ian Leslie 

My team was definitely “worth the difficulty” for me.  (Not sure how they felt about their manager LOL!) 

It all came together recently when I read Undaunted: overcoming doubts + doubters © by Kara Goldin: 

… I still tell new recruits at Hint that the number one thing they need to do is make sure their boss and their team are successful.  I run into so many people who make the mistake of worrying about how they look and concentrating on their own feelings to the extent that they don't appreciate what's going on around them.  Focusing outward on those who depend on you and the rest of the team makes you a valuable person, gets you more responsibility, and ultimately gives you a chance to not just look like, but also to be, a superstar. 

Bingo!  Make your manager and your team successful first, and your own look and feelings will take care of themselves.  Become more valuable; take on more responsibility (e.g. get promoted, make more money).  Yep. I like that from both the employee and the manager side, you? 

Nothing spells “security” better than “Superstar”. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.