This article highlights a potential blind spot some  employees have, so they can eliminate it. Doing so will enable them give more value to their employers, while becoming better prepared for life outside the security of paid employment at the same time.

Employees Don’t Earn Money – They Receive Handouts

It is not my intention to offend anyone who earns a salary.

However, the truth – which can be quite bitter – needs to be told.

In the real world (also known as the “UHK” i.e. “University of Hard Knocks”), you will rarely get paid 100%, UNTIL you’ve given 100% (or more) of the product or service you promised a buyer or client.

But, as Robert Kiyosaki observed, some people in paid employment today continue to demand to be paid more for doing less work!

They go to work all through a month putting in the barest minimum of effort each day. At the end of the month, they still have their full salaries deposited in their bank accounts. As long as they are not absent, they get the full day’s pay – even if all they do is push files around and chat, or gossip!

Think about it for a minute, and you’ll realize this is true. Some of us are (or have even been) guilty of doing it!

People who have this habit often rest secure in the knowledge that come rain or sun, their salaries will be paid.

And it often happens that way. In many companies, for as long as you remain on the payroll, you will be paid in full – even if you perform poorly or averagely (especially with the union there to “fight for workers”).

That’s why Robert says that salary earners do not “earn” money – instead they actually receive “handouts”.

Zig Ziglar Expressed A Similar Sentiment About Persons In Paid Employment

In one of his books, the late Zig Ziglar made a similar observation. He noted that some people go to work each day without doing anything differently from the day before.

As a result, five years down the line, instead of having five years’ experience, all they really end up with, is one year’s experience repeated over a five year period!

That is indeed – as he put it – A FACT.

The irony is that many find it easy to close their eyes to the FACT that they are asking to be retained, or even paid more – or promoted – despite not adding any extra VALUE to their jobs!

The only time they change their reasoning in this regard, is when they start their own businesses, and their own employees make similar demands of them.

Only THEN does it dawn on them that such employees’ requests are unrealistic.

Figures!

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“After listening to each of my subordinates give me a self-appraisal of their performance, I have come to the conclusion that I have only three types of people working for me – Stars, All Stars and Superstars!” – Gunther Brink

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That Attitude Can Lead to Failure in the Real World (i.e. Post Paid Employment)

Like I said in last week’s article on preparing for retirement, all employees, no matter how good they are, will eventually have to leave the job via one of the 3R’s (i.e. Retirement, Resignation or Retrenchment ).

Then they will have to live in the real world – where payment will often be directly proportional to the degree of effort expended (physically, and/or intellectually).

To illustrate my point, I often use the example of young street hawkers on the roads in Nigeria.

They run after cars trying to outdo the other in a bid to sell. And they do NOT STOP till they’ve made the sale (even when they feel tired). They act this way, because they know the rest of the family depends on them, to bring home money to meet the day’s needs!

Now, that’s living in the real world! The real world demands that you prove yourself worthy of every reward you get.

You must sow before you reap. You have to give in order to receive. Only in paid employment do we find this law of nature almost totally disregarded.

And that’s why when many people retire from well paying jobs, they tend to be unable to adjust to surviving in the real world.

Among other things they find that (contrary to what obtains in paid employment), just putting in minimal effort does not result in predictable income rewards!

Final Words

In closing, I must note that I am aware certain people do get “paid” (handsomely too!) for work they do not do. Or for work they do not do well.

Corrupt practices in business and general society make this an inevitable reality.

However, anyone seeking authentic success in life, will not compromise his/her values in that manner.

Commit to doing the right and honourable thing(s) at all time.

Regardless of what is at stake or who is concerned.

For those NOT in paid employment, this article’s message is equally relevant.

Just being in the real world is not enough. What you do with each day will determine how far you go!

NB: This article is based on excerpts from my Self-Development Bible™. You can get the PDF version free by subscribing to my newsletter using the signup form below. The glossy coloured print version can be ordered from my online store here.