One of the main reasons my blog has been lacking new posts is because I’ve been using Twitter more often. A couple weeks ago, Barry Schwartz threw out a short and simple tweet that grabbed my attention.

Shortly thereafter, his post I Don’t Expect My Employees To Work Harder Than I Do, Do You? hit the Cartoon Barry blog.

Since then, I’ve been wanting to write this post. Despite it being weeks overdue, it’s a message that needs to be repeated. Often.

I’ve gone off before on various rants regarding team etiquette and the costs of poor management in the workplace. While I feel that these things are paramount to optimal results and productivity, nothing beats a solid work ethic.

I’m willing to bet that if you took a poll around the office where I work, the majority would tell you that I do nothing. I hang out in the kitchen, talking shop with designers, IT folks and site installers. I’m addicted to caffeine, and since it’s freely flowing at the single brewing office machine - it’s a hang out of mine I frequent.

Unfortunately, outside of the office - people cannot see me working until 1 or 2AM. It’s the cost of being in an salary job and taking yourself seriously. I work with some amazing clients — and I’ll be damned if they don’t deserve my attention and best efforts. Thing is, I can only work really well in spurts before I get fried out at the office I work at. It’s a dark, stale and tense environment that is simply not conducive to quality organic optimization.

As a result - I get up and do my thing more often than not, and log a solid three more hours a night from home when I know I can devote every second of my time to what needs to be done.

Tying this back into Barry’s post - one could argue that those who support my efforts (I don’t really have a team. I’m sort of the lone man on the organic island) would be driven to work at a lesser level because of my behavior and the poor example that I set for them. I get that, and know that I need to improve how I come across while in the office. As Barry wisely states:

I figure, you set an example and hopefully it encourages them to work harder.

Continuing on that same path, I have to call attention to the closing statements in Barry’s post and the question posed to readers:

I do expect that if I work for someone they work as hard as I do. I expect that. If it is your business, you should care more about your business then I do. Sometimes, be it with clients or other work, I get the feeling that I care more about their business then they do. That bugs me, it really does. Why should I work my brains out and pick up the pieces when they care less than I do?

Anyone ever feel that way?

Yes! Working for a Fortune 300 organization (we’re slipping, and I think I can see how that may happen) you realize that there are people who are just there while there are others who are truly dedicated to the company and its customers.

In any event, I often feel like I’m working for various people who slack. Those that pass the buck and try to act as though they’re assisting you are the ones that bother me most. I’m not an idiot, and I’m certainly not naive enough to buy your BS stories repeatedly. If that makes me some sort of outcast for not admiring you and your incredibly lazy ways - so be it.

I’m not going to assassinate my character for your ego.