The Job of Work

A sampling of recent e-mails:

I love your blog! It makes me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. It makes me think, too, but I won't hold that against you. But what in the world does 'the job of work' mean? Sandy, Nebraska

Thanks for writing about work. It's hard to work where I do. It's not the job that's hard, it's the people, especially my boss. Actually, I really like what I do. I just don't like how hard they make it. Please keep writing. David, Florida

Your blog is usually good but sometimes it sucks. But I have to admit (please don't tell anyone!) that I look forward to reading it every Monday. I like when you write about what it's like at work. It's like you can read my mind! My manager can be a jerk. Her manager IS a jerk. Together, they can make my job miserable. Help them, please! Karen, Georgia

My friends and I read your blog every week. It helps us laugh at the things that happen where we work. There's a lot to laugh at, which is too bad. We've got some wonderful people here and some others who make things very difficult. Sadly, they make working here harder than it should be. John, Washington

Things here are not much different than they are where you are. (That wasn't a very good sentence, was it?) I really like what I do and I like the people I work with. I even like my supervisor. He's fair, which is all I can ask. But the company hardly ever tells us the real truth. We know there redundancies, as we call them here, and that there are going to be layoffs, so why don't they tell us? What's so hard about being honest? Don't they know how hard they're making it for us? Evan, United Kingdom

I used to love my job. I used to love my company. I used to look forward to coming to work. I used to care. But, over time, the people who run this place have made it harder and harder. We had layoffs, a pay freeze, a hiring freeze, and a cut to our benefits. I didn't like it, but I know why they had to do those things. What I don't understand is why they can't be honest with us about our situation, or why they don't let us help. We have ideas and no one's even asking. Susan, Texas

It must be a small world! What you write about is very true here in Chile. Our job is to give good service to our customers. We want them to like working with us. We also want them to like our company. But, the politics inside our company are very big and powerful. They make us guess all of the time. We try to do what is correct, but we do not always know what that is. Do companies in your country also make work so hard? Pablo, Chile

I don't care for everything you write (sorry!), but you usually make me think about how I want to live my life and how I want to do my job. I try really hard at work to do what I think they want me to do. It would be a whole lot easier if they didn't make me guess. Please keep writing your blog. Maybe someone here who can do something about our situation will read it. Jennifer, California

Your blogs are wonderful! You write beautifully and the topics you choose are always timely. I've learned so much! Thank you! (And remember to be nice to unions!) Your mother, Oakland

I've worked here for nearly 20 years. I started as a Customer Service Rep and have moved up the ladder to my current position. Many people report to me in a large geography. Your blog has helped me think about how I manage and lead people. I know it's important to be as honest as possible and to treat people as I would like to be treated. Your blog is like holding up a mirror because it gives me the chance to compare what I do to what you write about. Thank you for that. But just once can you please say that withholding truth is a good thing? Just once? (I had to ask!) Jim, New York

My job should be a lot easier than it is right now. There are rumors everywhere and no one is sure what's going to happen. Are we going to be sold? Are we going to buy another company? Are we going to 'centralize', whatever that is? Are they going to bring in consultants to eliminate jobs like in Office Space? (Sorry, I know you're a consultant. At least your name isn't Bob.) It's nearly impossible to get anything done with all of the rumors. Help! Bill, Arizona

I've worked hard to get this job and I absolutely love it! I actually help people and it feels good. Our company is doing better now, too. But we could be doing so much more to strengthen the company. If only our managers listened to the ideas we have. I don't expect that they would approve all of them, but why don't they even listen? In many ways it's sad and makes me wonder if this is the best place for me. Robin, California

Thanks for writing every week! I especially like your rants. (I promise NEVER to write another annual letter!) I also like how you understand how hard it is to work these days -- especially in my company! You're right, it's a job to work. The memos, the town hall meetings, the half-truths, the conflicting messages, the politics (the politics!!) -- all of it makes us crazy. It's worse than that, though, because now we're not sure what any of the bosses want. Should we come in even earlier and stay even later, even if all of our work is done? Should we help each other or should we hope someone else messes up? Should we worry about our job or should we believe what we're being told? Sorry for all of the questions. It should be so much easier, right? Debbie, New Jersey

I bet I spend at least 25% of my time at work trying to deal with the 'stuff' that comes down from on high. Between rumors, politics and mixed messages, it's like having another job on top of the one I already have! We should be trying to make things easier at work, not harder. Please call the people who run this company and tell them, okay? Tell them they're making my job way too hard. Scott, Colorado

If you didn't before, do you get the title of this blog now? Thought so.

See you next week.