Bored with the job

Two men were observed working along side the road. One would dig a hole and then go about 10 feet and dig the next one. The other worker was following behind him filling the holes back in.

After watching this unproductive behavior for a while, curiosity was peaked. “What’s going on here? What are you men doing?”

“Well,” replied the first man, “My name is Jack, I dig the holes, that’s Charlie, he fills in the holes, and Roy, he’s off today, he plants the trees.”

What a boring job and what boring people are these in our story.

But the question here now is:

Are boring jobs created by boring people, or do boring jobs make people boring?

Here is another way to frame the question.

Do mediocre people create mediocre jobs, or do boring and mediocre jobs create people who become bored over time?

I have given this a lot of thought. I have consulted many of my friends who are HR practitioners, and the truth is there are many jobs in the work place that should have been eliminated because they are redundant or simply irrelevant.

And this situation usually happens to legacy companies that have been in the business landscape for years.

In most cases, a crisis occurs. The kneejerk reaction in addressing the crisis is to put up measures or procedures.

The crisis has passed, the measures are still there and the irrelevance of those jobs or procedures simply bore the people working on it, much more so the unnecessary expenses related to it.

Sometimes it is easy for bosses to accuse their people they are bored with their jobs. Maybe there are cases wherein the nature of the job itself has made people boring and nothing has been done over the years.

True. There are jobs that are monotonous and boring but are still necessary. The key operative word here is “necessary.” However, has there ever been an audit of company systems and procedures in weeding out jobs that are unnecessary and may have been useless expense items on the business overhead?

The truth is most boring jobs can now be outsourced or automated. Has technology replaced jobs, yet the old operations are still there duplicating what machines can do better?

Most people want to be creative but because the job that was assigned to them is terribly boring it does not bring out the best in them.

Three things happen:

1. Good people complain and they challenge the jobs and make it more efficient and more exciting. But that is if the leaders would allow them, and if the company’s culture is of innovation and welcomes creative, disruptive initiatives.

2. Good people leave because their leaders who are comfortable with the heritage of the familiar do not allow the changes they want to initiate.

3. Good people become boring as they succumb to the bland taste of boring jobs and this increases the load of mediocrity in the company.

This is why progressive companies take time to audit the kinds of jobs they offer their people.

Good people want to be stretched and challenged. These are the same people who long for training and learning because they want to maximize their capability to do more.

Creative people want to have the freedom to express their ideas. They want an environment that provides a safe laboratory for idea experimentation.

High potential future leaders want to contribute to the improvement of the business and inspire people to do the task.

And all these people leave when their jobs are boring and they stagnate.

Never allow this to happen in your organization. Eliminate unnecessary and redundant jobs and procedures.

Bring out the best in your people. Train them, mentor them, stretch them, challenge them and most importantly, reward them.

Appreciate them not only for their efforts, but most especially for their positive contributions and performances and you will be creating a group of highly energized, creative, top business athletes you can pit against the best of the best out there, while meanwhile, loving your job and everything that comes with it.

(Connect with Francis Kong on www.facebook.com/franciskong2. Or listen to “Business Matters” Monday to Friday 8 a.m. And 6:30 p.m. over 98.7 dzFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch’, the classical music station.)