The above title states the obvious. But the way (people I call) “workplace complainers” act, one would think otherwise! What would you think of a secretary who grumbles when asked by the boss, to retrieve important files from the archives, for an urgent meeting? Or the employee who complains that s/he’s being given too much work to do by superiors? I would call such people LAZY and IRRESPONSIBLE!

If That Sounds Harsh, Believe Me When I Say It’s Not

I once observed an employee working in the foreign office of an organization I visited. Each time the boss called her, she came in with a frown on her face.

And as soon as he told her what he wanted done, she would complain about how doing that would take time/effort, and leave with the frown still intact.

This is a job that earns her a salary compatible with what top executives in some local organizations earn back in her home country. She also earns allowances. And that is in addition to free accommodation, plus others benefits on top of her salary. In fact, many of her peers don’t earn anything close to what she gets.

Yet, she acted irritated and impatient most times I saw her during my visits to the office. It was disappointing to see a grown up act that way towards a job she was being handsomely PAID to do.

The fact remains that once you accept an offer of employment, by appending your signature to the letter, it means you agree to abide by the terms of employment.

Results-focused employers rightfully expect employees to do what is required of them.

But employees who complain about work are often too focused on what they lack, and forget to be grateful for what they already have. They forget that many people who have similar (sometimes superior) qualifications and abilities to theirs, walk the streets daily, without jobs!

Adding REAL Value at Work, Without Complaining, Guarantees Your Career Success (A True Story)

In 1994, I worked for 6 months as a Trainee Sales Coordinator in an indigenous wine manufacturing company. I endeared myself to the owner through my obvious passion for getting involved in making things work.

I developed close friendships with colleagues in the laboratory section, to better understand the quality controls e.g. how they determined sugar and alcohol content in the finished products. In the process I learnt how to use the refractometer to determine “brix” – a scale of measurement used to determine sugar content.

Over time, colleagues knew they could depend on me to help if/when the need arose. When I told the boss I’d been offered employment in Guinness, he gave me a glowing reference letter, even though he knew it meant I was leaving.

When In a Team, It Is Rarely Wise to Say: “But that’s not my job!”

When you work in an organization, you become part of the team.

As a manager in Guinness, I would often go out of my way to fill in for colleagues, or to support them – anytime I saw fit – to ensure work progressed as needed.

No matter who it was (or where), as long as I saw a possibility of things going wrong if I failed to intervene, I would still go ahead and help out. What’s more, I never made a big deal about it e.g. by claiming I was overworked etc.

As far as I was concerned, it was always part of the job. I believed I had an obligation to do my best to ensure the company’s interests progressed at all times.

It is my strong conviction that every team member…every employee…who acts this way WILL always enjoy rapid career advancement in a well managed company.

Do Your Job, Plus More…and Others Will Develop Unshakeable Trust & Confidence in YOU!

I still recall a senior manager, and mentor of mine, making the following statement to me:

“Tayo, people say you’re the kind of person they can give a job to do and go to sleep.”

He said so, a few days after the send forth party for me, following my voluntary resignation to start my own business. That was in December 2001.

And he was not the only one who’d expressed such sentiments.

I’d heard it many times during my career. It explained why decision makers repeatedly awarded me high profile career advancement opportunities, ahead of even senior colleagues.

All that happened because I consistently did my work, and helped do others that needed to be done, without complaining, resulting in benefits to the company.

There is no reason for you to NOT do the same. You have nothing to lose, since you already earn a salary, and so much more to gain. It’s just simple common sense!