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How to Keep a Job – Keep Thinking Off the Job
Are you wondering how to keep a job? Regardless of the economic times, hanging onto your job is important – finding another source of income can be very inconvenient as well as challenging. One of the biggest challenges is finding a job when you don’t have one. Having a job makes life much easier with the employment you have and for the future employment you may seek.
The key to keeping your job is to think like an owner or manager. Think about what it is they would like to see in an employee. Also, think about what it is they would rather not experience from their employees. Your job, within reason, is to do what pleases them and to refrain from doing what it is they don’t have appreciation for. Here is one suggested activity that can please owners and managers.
Think – especially when you’re off the job.
As an associate of mine used to say, some employees “shut off the brain when they walk out the door.†For many it’s true, and it harms their ability to solve problems and be more productive at work. I believe if you’re turning off your thinking cap when you head out the door, then you probably don’t have it turned on very well to begin with. And, you probably don’t have much interest in or commitment to what you’re doing. That’s not the right attitude or approach.
Why hang onto an employee who has limited interest? Why be committed to retain an employee who isn’t committed to the job or employer they have?
A lack of interest and commitment will be noticed by those responsible for managing personnel, and they’re much more likely to dismiss such an individual if they need to reduce staff or if they have someone else waiting in the wings to hire. And, good managers are constantly recruiting, sometimes in very subtle ways, even when they don’t have an immediate need for additional employees. Know how to keep a job – don’t give them any excuse to let you go.
One way to show interest and commitment is to keep thinking about work-related problems and solutions, even when you’re not at work. This isn’t to say that you become entirely focused on work, to the exclusion of family and friends, but that you use unproductive time wisely by putting it towards thinking and problem solving that can be productive once you return to work. Consider the following opportunities to think about work-related problems and arrive at solutions:
- -taking a shower
- -commuting
- -washing dishes
- -folding clothes
- -vacuuming
- -dressing
Your brain can work fast, and it can multi-task, so sometimes it only takes a few minutes or even just a few moments for an idea to surface that will address challenges that you and others face at work. You can even let your subconscious mind work on the problem, and when a potential solution is found, it will pop into your conscious mind. But none of this will happen if you don’t have an interest or commitment to problem solving once you leave your place of employment.
Be someone who knows how to keep a job. Be someone who thinks at work as well as after hours. This makes you a better and more valuable player in the eyes of those who are responsible for making decisions about staffing, promotion and layoffs.
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Clair Schwan has many nicknames, some are even flattering. One of his nicknames is Mr. Manager, and he has lots of experience managing many an individual into and out of his employ. He appreciates employees who add value to his business interests. One important value is someone who can think, even when it’s outside of normal business hours. See his many other ideas about how to keep your job over at Frugal Living Freedom where maintaining employment is recognized as a good first step to accumulating wealth and investing it wisely.
