The career girl with values
MANILA, Philippines - I must say that I am the kind of person who loves getting tremendous motivation. Having worked for nearly eight years since finishing university and now being a career girl, encouragement and optimism are my driving forces. I understand that the real formula for success can be summarized in three words: Work, work, and work. Being a career girl, success is a fuzzy concept and, for me, my priority is to continuously advance — career-wise and money-wise. Hence, motivational books on life management, success, goal-setting, and career life have been my cups of tea all this time.
Five years ago, after rummaging in our storage room, I retrieved Making Work Values Work by Dr. Jacobson Kliatchko, a light volume that must have been used by my parents as their guidebook back in the day. I found pleasure reading it and it is now among my many favorites. Having pledged my allegiance as a “soldier” to the workplace, this 230-page paperback led me to grab the bull by the horns by providing me with impressive pep talk on how to become an ace in the contemporary workplace and how to enjoy my life as a quite effectual urban career girl.
Dr. Kliatchko, who is a personnel management specialist and has had extensively remarkable experiences in the fields of communication and industrial relations, furnishes the reader with an excellent take on a vast array of work values coupled with virtuous deeds. I have gained a handful of significant sagacity from his acumen. According to the author, God created man to make himself useful to society. This is his primary job description. As a means of service towards self-expression and self-actualization, employment is essentially man’s most essential, natural, and necessary inclination — his raison d’etre. Apparently, a stable job is an individual’s obligation.
Applying his intellectual and physical activities and efforts, work enables an individual to attain his chief objectives, which are his personal development, his service to others, providing for the needs of his family, and most importantly, reaching God as his ultimate end. Through the company serving as the field for the discovery and development of the employee’s talents, employment polishes the individual, paving the way for him to reach the heights of his ambitions — to “conquer the world.”
Describing the very nature of employment in an instructional albeit very illuminating approach, the author desires employment as a human right and a duty. An individual owes himself his job. He is entitled to it and is responsible to have one. As everyone has the predilection to and is entitled to the business of personal development as well as having their needs met, this insight has led me to understand the plight of the unemployed and the reason behind workers’ unions and workers going on strike.
Making Work Values Work confers the quintessential touchstones of good moral character that govern the world of work. These are trustworthiness, maturity, order, respectful and harmonious working relationship, diligence, time management, humility, and obedience.
First, the author speaks of the nature of the model employee, highlighting that an effective worker is hired based on trust and maturity. An employee must be reasonable enough to attune himself to the general corporate objectives because it is for the purpose of attaining this objective that he was hired by the company in the first place. The company trusts him and is banking on his cooperation.
Laziness is that disordered tendency to desire comfort all the time and it is an indication of immaturity — not wanting to work because of difficulties. A person who is lazy also tends to complain considerably. True maturity is overcoming strains. Making Work Values Work teaches resiliency, advising the reader to be patient rather than complain, leading towards self-mastery — a hallmark of maturity.
Second, I must say that I am the Goddess of Order. I like things well-sorted and well-planned. Making Work Values Work underlines three key ideas: categorizing, prioritizing, and scheduling. As we go about our daily grind in the workplace, I agree that we can certainly get things done through conscientiously dividing our activities according to nature and priority level.
Third, when it comes to working relationships, the reading advocates a respectful and harmonious working relationship among colleagues. Not everyone working together has equal facilities and abilities. Thus, there has to be an understanding with regard to the state and condition in life of each and every one. Additionally, one should not be counted among employees who scandalize others through gossip and intrigue. A responsible employee always aspires never to cause or be part of any dilemma. Above all, teamwork or organized cooperation must be upheld at all times. Employees must truly believe in and espouse the tried and tested institutional corporate objectives they are enjoined to work for.
Fourth, diligence is imperative. Work certainly requires effort. And effort connotes difficulty. According to the author, instead of complaining, one should be grateful with having a myriad of activities to do because he will have many opportunities to develop himself then!
Fifth, time management is essential. Indeed, time is a treasure. Time that passes is always an opportunity to make money. Since money is made within a frame of time, time that slips away without having generated income is unquestionably a lost opportunity. As French philosopher Voltaire remarks, “Work banishes those three great devils: Boredom, vice, and poverty.”
Sixth, humility. Having plans for each of us, God showered a wealth of talents and capabilities on his creations. With humility, we should thank Him for us being favored recipients of those gratuitous endowments as we consequently serve others and pursue magnanimous ends.
Finally, obedience. It is commonplace to find unwilling workers performing their tasks in scheming ways, lessening responsibility, harboring ill feelings towards the employer, or wanting to have it their way. In the final analysis, this is the railroad to disobedience. Apparently, an individual’s free will is his most precious possession, hence, making it difficult to obey. Nonetheless, at the workplace, one needs to conform. He has to swallow his pride! Indeed, obedience is only rendered difficult when pride — the wrong conviction that a person does not need anybody else to tell him what may be good for him — gets in the way.
The author elegantly puts it that by obeying, one gets to learn from his superior, benefitting from his wisdom, experiences, and a wealth of knowledge pertaining to the job. He can train his subordinate like no expert probably can, serving as a guide in making crucial decisions that may have great impact on the employee’s career and future. In short, he is just like a parent, a teacher, a mentor. Thus, one must react with maturity and learn to put his feelings under the control of reason. Looking at things objectively with a lot of humility and learning to listen without prejudice shall then make work take a smoother course.
I value not only the philosophies embedded in this self-help book, but also appreciate the manner by which the author communicates his thoughts. Using enlighteningly gentle and fathomable expressions, Dr. Kliatchko spoke to me like a concerned boss, if not a caring and understanding mentor. As a human resource management specialist, he discerned the ultimate temperament of the employee — his struggles and quest for development as he serves God, his family, and his countrymen.
Dr. Kliatchko mentions that the best weapon of choice is optimism. He asserts that we are perfectible. The modest formula for the attainment of perfection: Do better next time. Undesirable outcomes should merely serve as learning opportunities. The author concludes by saying that the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement (even for the best of us)!
Progress, the rat race, dog-eat-dog world. Everyone wants to get ahead. Everywhere there is the wild scramble for the “good life.” With the world obsessed with money-making and productivity, gaining employment nowadays for most is certainly a cold-blooded undertaking. Making Work Values Work by Dr. Jacobson Kliatchko provides the alternative and more of a philosophical account on what employment means and why people make themselves useful.
As a progressive, willing, and able member of the workforce, it is now more lucid to me that employment polishes an individual besides serving as an avenue to achieve his objectives in life. Dr. Kliatchko affirms that an individual should have a sense of duty, considering his work as a challenge and not a burden because it is there to provide him with opportunities to develop his talents and skills. And as a rule of thumb, the natural tendency of any healthy organism is always towards growth, increment, increase, and development — the attainment of the greatest possible perfection. An individual is free to choose his involvements. He should, indeed, not just wait for opportunities, but he should instead create them! He should take an active interest in his activities, in his work, in his development — in his life!
This week’s winner
Sheena Ricarte is a 28-year-old writing lecturer, travel and international education journalist. Having a predilection for listing her daily, weekly, and lifetime intentions, Sheena collects journals like Moleskine and Miquelrius, using them as her planners. She likes reading books about self-management, success, and career life. Furthermore, she loves leisure walking, making her ponder. Sheena loves visiting, journaling, and photographing prestigious universities in America.
