ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2007 > February > 20 > Entry
Money vs. Time?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Why do you work? What motivates you to leave your warm, comfortable bed each morning and fight traffic to get to the office on time?
We talked a few days ago about dream jobs. If your current job is not your dream job, then what keeps us motivated to show up at work every day? There might be a few of us out there who work just to have something to do, but for most of us, it’s the paycheck that keeps us coming back.
What’s interesting is that people tend to be wired in one of two ways: There are those of us who are willing to work as many hours as they can handle, as long as it means they will make more money. Then, there are those of us who would easily trade more free time for less money.
The distinction is rooted in our core work values. It’s not wrong to be wired either way, it’s just a difference in perspectives. It’s unfair to judge someone who is willing to work hard for money and call them greedy; just as it’s unfair to label someone lazy if they value free time or family time over earning more money. We don’t know their personal situations and we can’t begrudge their decisions.
Still, millions of people struggle each day with balancing their need to work to earn a steady income with their desire for a quality personal life. Based on your experience, which is your more pressing need?
Money or time?
Comments
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By Trulyannoyed
February 20, 2007 3:10 PM | Link to this
Pamela, your assumption is correct is not a bad person. In fact take away the fact I like her as a person (that is the reason I haven’t expressed my annoyance to management) but as a co-worker she truly sucks.
Before, having to do her job I thought maybe what they were asking her to do was unreasonable. However, since I have been doing here job I have gotten 4 projects closed out (and yes I will be the first to attmit I do work rather fast and she works really slow but even working at her pace I think it can be done) part of my problem with here is that I am realizing that if she showed up to work and while at work performed her job she could get the work done. She already knows the importance of her job, since I cant be too detailed about my place of employment I will say finalizing our projects is what is most important to our client because they have to close there financing by a certain date. The more dissatisfied our client becomes the greater the chance that we lose our clients.
I believe in teamwork so I never tell my supervisor that’s so and so’s job and they are never here so no I am not doing it. I realize the importance of all this being completed. I will say though I refuse to work late to complete her responsibilities. What is totally my responsibility to get out does come first. It is hard for me to make myself work late to get projects closed out when the closeout person on Valentine’s Day came in at 10:00 a.m. took lunch from 12:00 to 1:00 and then left work at 2:30 so her and her husband could get a table. While I would never say that you cant have special plans why would you take a lunch and you knew you were leaving early???????
I have informed her that she needs to get better about getting here on time and actually working 40 hours (since she does have full time employment). Of course I hurt her feelings (I know I am a very strong person and she is highly sensitive it was not my intent to hurt her feelings I was just trying to be honest with her). At that time, she informed me that she was hurt by how my supervisor gave her work to me. See as it happens, with the very first project I had to close out, my supervisor did not tell her that she had passed work to me…I felt bad about it but I have to do what I am told. Has she attempted to do better about getting her since I told her? NO!…I don’t think she feels like she apart of the team because she is not include in a lot of things that don’t have to do with her job because management felt like she could not handle anymore responsibility since she cant manage what she has already been given. The only way for here to be include in project before the close out phase would be for her to help herself by picking up her pace and coming to work on time and working full time hours. I hope it does get better!!!
Thanks for the advise…Given my strong nature I should have asked exactly how to word what to say to her prior to going to talk with her. Sorry this is for Coming in late is costing me money
By pamela
February 26, 2007 3:24 PM | Link to this
Trulyannoyed, let’s just say bless her heart. I knew she was not responsible for major operations in the company and that what she did must have been like “fill work”. Most people who realize that their presence is necessary to a company’s success usually apply themselves. Our careers sort of define who we are and out level of importance. This is something that she will not achieve and when the (hope not) going gets tough for the company she will be the first out the door. You are a trulygood co-worker.