Welcome to the Wolff Learning Blog!
W- Work Ethic
The #WolffWay
W- Work ethic
O- Off time
L- Lead with integrity
F- Find your passion
F- Find a way
The last blog of 2024 talked about building and/or reinforcing our foundation. Our individual foundations are often established, consciously or subconsciously, on our core values or philosophies.
There are times when it may be beneficial to return to our roots. Here we go-
The "W" in the Wolff Way represents Work Ethic.
There are times our basic human needs drive our work ethic. Examples are feeling safe, having food to eat, clothing to wear and a roof over our heads. Once these needs are met, we sometimes move to other motivators.
We all have things that motivate us, whether intrinsically (makes us feel a sense of accomplishment, pride, purpose, curiosity, etc.) or extrinsically (make more money, bonuses, public recognition, etc.). Recognizing our motivators, whether basic needs or otherwise, establishes our "why". Our "why" drives our work ethic.
As leaders we appreciate the individuals who have strong work ethic. As a fellow employee, I appreciate people with strong work ethic. If a colleague is not pulling their weight due to a poor work ethic, it often results in more work on your plate. How does that make YOU feel?
A few simple tips:
- Show up- Someone told me a long time ago success is 85% showing up. In my experience, this appears to be true. Go to work. Go to school.
- Prioritize- Determine what is urgent vs. what is important. Urgent AND Important matters go to the top of the list. Sometimes we have to put the "needs" ahead of the "wants".
- Go above and beyond- yeah, you can do the minimum but then don't wonder why you don't feel that sense of accomplishment or get the promotion you think you may deserve.
- Recognize we can do anything, but not everything. Strong work ethic is an extremely powerful tool, but can be stretched too thin. Fill your plate, maybe two, but know when you have gone too far.
Find your motivators, determine your "why" and activate your own strong work ethic. Make no mistake, it can be hard. I struggle too at times. Keep after it.
