Saturday, October 4, 2008

Pride.


Why do people no longer take pride in what they do any more? I know there are some exceptions to that rule but too many seem to just put in an appearance. I know this is true at the Wal-Mart I work at. My job consists of 2 nights stocking dairy, two nights stocking frozen foods, and one night stocking wherever they put me. In dairy it is extremely important to rotate the stock so the products don't go out of date. Some like cheeses have a shelf life of several months. Others like milk and yogurt have a matter of weeks. Most of my co-workers, sadly including the department manager, don't do that. Last Thursday night I threw 4 items away that were over a month out of date. Georgia has inspectors who go into stores and look for that. They can fine a store and if the situation calls for it close the store. What makes what I found worse was the fact last week the case was totally stripped out. Every single item was removed because new cases were installed. Nothing out of date should have been there, yet it was. I was taught if a job is worth doing it is worth doing right. It is time consuming to rotate the stock, but that is the proper way of doing it. Company policy calls for it to be done, yet most don't. I accept it won't be done, but I will do it properly. I hear so many complaints from people about having to do things, but that is what the job is all about. Some don't want to do anything except for their assigned area, but my attitude is I am paid to work, so wherever they need me I will do it. Hopefully my attitude will change some peoples attitudes, and a few I know it has, but it is a long hard road.

No job is unimportant. Some are looked down upon because of what they do and that is a shame. Many jokes are made at the expense of "burger flippers", but when you want fast food aren't you glad someone is there making it? Janitors are considered low class by many, but what would the world look like if the job wasn't done? Take pride in what you do, no matter what it is. If for no other reason then self-satisfaction.

4 comments:

Jeff said...

Excellent points, all.

Bravo!

Mike Parnell said...

The Protestant point of view to your comments is called the priesthood of the believer. In that doctrine, the belief is held that all work is valuable and of God. God needs garbage men as much as he needs preachers. Without those who take away our waste, we would quickly be overwhelmed by disease.

Travis said...

Hear! Hear! Good points, Howard. I know exactly what you mean. When worked at the Japanese grocery store, I got so ticked off at the way the produce was handled there. I took over ordering, and rotating the stock myself. Everyone just kind of half-assed it. Including my boss.

It was like pulling teeth to get people to go through the aisles and check the expiration dates on the food there.

Keep up the good work, and be a leader on a job done right.

Jinxo56 said...

Thank you for your comments. I will continue to show them how it should be done, even if no one else is listening.