Every day at work, Bao Minh spends only two hours creating posts for his company’s social media with ChatGPT and the remaining six hours on watching movies.
Anyone who well and truly enjoys their job has severe mental issues that need to be worked out. Why would someone give effort towards something that won't ultimately reward them? It's not their project, it's not their company, it's not their passion.
Meanwhile nurses and other care professionals are leaving the field. They love what they do, up to a point.
Many employers have tried the "if you love what you do, you'll love it without any raises, benefits or help." And now there's a lot of additional administration and bureaucracy to get all those important metrics and KPI.
Less people are willing to do the training for the job and more are leaving. Same thing happens for teachers, child care, elderly care.
Hmm, I always give my best effort, because that's how I learn the most and sharpen my own skills. Job skills are like any other, they atrophy if you don't stretch them, and they don't grow if you don't push their limits.
Give your effort for your own benefit, not because you expect a reward from your current employer. When you outgrow that relationship, and your employer doesn't value your contributions, then move on.
You are always working for yourself, even if you're getting a paycheck from someone else.
Another take: you can dial it back on what your manager gives you and spend more effort on tasks that directly benefit yourself. For example networking, selling yourself, learning new things. My work career has also had periods of fortune and misfortune that far outweighed whatever I was doing in my role. Department restructures, cost-cutting projects, industry booms and busts, sometimes you just try to ride the wave and that doesn’t always mean committing to your role.
This. I’m in a high paying job now because of this mentality. Started literally at the bottom as a cart attendant in the late 90s. I don’t outperform others because I’m a bootlicker. I do it to challenge myself and grow.
People that put minimal effort in are hurting themselves more than the company.