If They Paid Me More
Sometimes people come out with a very profound comment or statement – often though, they just don’t realise they did it.
Standing at Starbucks today waiting for my coffee the young lady taking my order said she was tired. I asked here what time she got up and she replied that it was at 730am. I told here I’d gotten up at 530am. Not that it was a boast but I had to drive an hour to training.
She then said something which got me thinking for the next thirty mintues as I drank my coffee.
She said ‘I’d get up earlier if they paid me more.’
I think she may have it the wrong way around. Jeremy Clarkson said that when he drives into central London at about 6am all the cars he sees on the roads are Porsches and Mercs. If he drives in at about 8am they are all Fords and Peugeots.
I will leave you to draw your own conclusions.
Paul Browning
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Tag:Early Bird
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23 Comments
Lol Interresting article there Paul. I changed jobs back in March and part of that was a 120mile round trip each day and like you a 5:30am start! All for the extra cash and job propects.
Kev
I?m sure I?ve said the same thing a few times in my life ? I hope not too seriously! As you imply, it may be the go-getters who are willing to put just a little more effort in who ?get paid more?, or who get rewarded in other ways.
I hope she was just kidding. Most Starbucks staff I chat with are upbeat more often than not. But the implication in that statement ? “if they paid me more I?d get up earlier? is just so backward.
Rather than ?if they reward me then I?ll add value? it should be ?how can I add value, so that I can earn a reward?? Of course, we?d be saints if we thought like that all the time.
As always, it’s the comments ‘on the fly’ that reveal the persons inner motivations
Since being self employed I’ve noticed many people gripe and complain about what they think are their rights and how they feel hard done by. I look upon things as an opportunity to do what I love doing and get paid for it
And Paul … 30 minutes to drink and savour a Starbucks???
Great article …
Cheers,
Gary
She was great actually, as are most of Starbucks staff all over the world. I think it was more off the cuff but for me, very profound. She did say that Starbucks pay here well but he likes here bed also. x
Oh that?s good! I have a high regard for Starbucks ?baristas?, especially in the morning ? More seriously, your comment got me thinking about how the things we say, even jokingly, can also have deeper implications, if we stopped to reflect.
10 Imagine how it would sound if someone who was trying to start a business said ?if they pay me then I?ll start my business?. The effort to develop a business and offer a service comes first ? then, customers might begin to line up.
Here?s another thought. Are all those Porsches and Mercs on the road at 6AM because their drivers have high-paying positions that demand lots of time, or because their drivers believe that getting started early provides them a competitive advantage and opportunities to achieve high-paying positions?
Or maybe they?re just early birds who reward themselves by being able to get home early because they start the day early. In this case too, though, the effort precedes the reward.
Well, I don?t drive a Porsche or a Mercedes or anything like that- but I do get up early in the mornings for work. Why? Because I enjoy the job I have, but also wanted to be able to live where I do, which is rather far away. In order to accomplish my twin objectives I keeping a job I enjoy AND living somewhere I really love, I am willing to pay the price of extra time driving to and from the job. We all make those decisions about what to give in return for what we want.
I?ve been thinking about this and it seems to me we all put forth effort in return for something we value, whether it?s more pay or personal satisfaction, or recognition or whatever. And sometimes getting more of whatever we value up front does motivate us to make an extra effort, or do something more than we were doing. That?s not a bad thing.
If ?they? paid me more, I?d contract out some of the work around the house, freeing up a little more time for ?them? and a lot more time for me. And I?d be really appreciative 🙂
Though in this economy, I appreciate having a regular job where I enjoy the work and am treated with respect. That?s worth a lot!
I read about a recent study in the U.S. that shows a notable percentage employees are fairly dissatisfied. They are staying out for now, because of the economy, but are either actively looking out for other opportunities now, or plan to as soon as the job market gets better. In other words, companies stand to lose good people if they can?t find a way ? now ? to keep them interested and rewarded by the work they are doing now. Food for thought!
So it?s not just if they paid you more money, but if they paid you more respect or paid you in meaningful work, or something like that, you?d be more inclined to stay.
Hello. I saw something like that study also. A conclusion was that employees are overall dissatisfied because they feel taken advantage of by employers during this economic crisis, when options are few. As confidence in the economy grow, dissatisfied employees are willing to look elsewhere.
I wonder how many people who are thinking of leaving their jobs due to not enough pay or respect or whatever it is they want are thinking about trying to go into business for themselves? Maybe even internet marketing 🙂
Yesterday at the office (during the lunch break!) a co-worker and I were chatting about all the jobs we?ve had and how we landed where we are. We discovered we?d both moved around a lot, gaining all kinds of new experiences, and enjoying life in the process. Mind you ? as a result we?d not built up a large retirement savings account and would be working somewhat longer than we might otherwise want to ? but the point is, it was more the challenge of learning new things that kept us motivated, not more pay
Here’s to all the hard-working folks who are motivated by the challenge and the joy — best wishes for the new year!!
It is important to do things you?re self-motivated to do, but there?s a lesson here for bosses and co-workers as well. What can you do to nourish that self-motivation? And it doesn?t have to be money.
All you have to pay me is a good cup of coffee it seems. A colleague of mine on a volunteer board wants to hand off some additional responsibilities to me. We?re to meet at a local coffee house, and he told me coffee was ?on him?. How could I resist?
, and have a great holiday all. I?m taking some much needed time off until ?next year?.
Great article Paul..
The late Randy Pausche said it best when he quoted… “If you want to know the secret to my success – just call me…… at 9pm on a Friday night in my office, and I’ll tell you!”
Work Smarter AND Harder – nothing comes for free.