 |
| Labour Day Parade in Toronto. |
As we usher in Labour Day, I remember a time when Labour had great dignity attached to it.
Today, if you tell someone that you labour for a living, they'll take two steps back and then make a run for it. Why? Coz nobody wants to hang around with a chump who toils for a living... like Bangladeshi workers or Indonesian maids.
Everyone wants to snuggle up to success, to the man at the top of a ladder rather than the guy holding it.
But to labour doesn't mean being a Labourer or from the lower classes. In fact, anyone whose focus is to put in an honest day's work every day, Labours for his/her profession.
The world has changed drastically.
Most of the developed world no longer "makes" anything. America has downsized Detroit, the UK no longer manages it's customer service and Europeans no longer manage their own books.
But all great countries, were built on hard labour. Forefathers who believed in dignity, from doing it on your own rather than at someone else's expense for cheap. From smelters to tappers, miners to carpenters, medical officers to administrators... everything we have today is built on the legacy of someone else's sweat and toil.
There's a lot of pride that comes from having to do something on your own. From getting your hands dirty. From remembering what it feels to get a fair wage for the job.
For instance, the going rate for getting your car washed in the city is $10. And no one gets their car washed on a cloudy day so it's obvious the sun is shining and the car washers toil under the heat. After watching the boys working and sweating to clean the car, I used to give them $12. Because it's an honest day's job.
Some people are appalled. I've been told off for 'spoiling the market'. But everyone's got their pet splurge. Mine isn't beer.
If you check your insurance policy, the investment linked fund you bought 4 years ago is worth very little today. In fact, if you sold it, you'd be bearing a loss.
The customer service agent is always gonna tell you to hold on because it's a good policy. On what grounds? Ummmm... She can't quite tell. That's the prepared speech they trained them to spout whenever anyone considers surrendering their policy. Don't question - just say it. Even if it's not true. So is that an honest day's work? No, it's not.
When someone offered his services as a consultant to a fellow entrepreneur to raise funds for a project, this self appointed consultant tells him, "You're naive to think you'll be seeing actual cash in your bank account. In my experience, they usually never pay up."
Which speaks volumes about the capacity of the consultant and his style of advising potential clients. Why would I need to hire anyone who's expecting to bring zero into my account?
There was a time when managing another persons' affairs was a position of trust, not a philosophy lesson. If you can't deliver the goods, leave it to the next person who can. Don't try to convince the other that they're naive in believing that they will be paid what's owed. That's not consulting, that's your own personal agenda shining through. Needless to say, not an honest day's work.
Respecting people's time is another. Too often, the little SMEs that hold immense knowledge obtained through hard work and toil... are violated. Big boys that ask them to pitch for jobs just to hear the idea and then pass the job on to their friends. Or private phone calls from officials who openly ask to 'pick your brains' and request access to your presentations and research materials.
That's not an honest day's work because it disrespects the person who took the time and effort to perfect their work into an art form.
So what IS an honest days work?
It's giving it everything you've got, no matter the outcome. Whether you're working for someone or running your own outfit. Cleaning the toilet or balancing the books. You owe it to no one else but yourself.
It's in being judicious and objective when executing your office. Dropping your Ego, Prejudices, Special Interests at the door. Otherwise, you can only see what you want to see, not what IS.
By referring to the past to make a decision in the present... that's not honest, wise or even a real decision. It's a reaction. And in reaction, there is no creativity, there's nothing new, no blossoming of understanding.
An honest days work is having the courage to tell the Truth... to our opponents as well as our friends. All relationships are secondary when one understands how dire it is to speak the Truth - and how many family and friends you will lose along the way. But being unpopular and without friends never hurt anybody. You get more time to tend to your inner garden.
It's also living up to your word. That if you'll make that call, or finish that piece of work... you will. But if you're not planning to... have the courage to say that too. But don't evade, avoid or change the subject. You may dodge the bullet. Whether you can hold your head up is another matter.
An honest day's work is apologising when you've made a mistake... and withholding an apology when you haven't. To say you're sorry when you aren't... belittles everyone. Time will sort that out. The real ones will stay. Others will never stay too long.
That's how the gravy train works. Chooooo-choooooo! On to the next fad! While the true Labour on...
