You put the lime in the coconut

We live in a world of instant gratification. Instantly, we are able to talk to someone on the other side of the world by phone, text, or IM rather than waiting months for a letter to arrive at our door. We are able to instantly view pictures we take from cameras and share with friends and family instead of waiting for an image to be developed. We are able to travel to any destination not only by former methods of animal, car, or plane, but now also by computer for virtual tours. Our world is so quick, we forget what it actually means to work for what we need or want at times.

In this world of instant gratification, I am suffering from being in the company of those that also have the sense of entitlement for jobs not well done. I am suffering from their excuses as to why they cannot do something instead of their attempt to do whatever they can. I also suffer from other individuals and their allowance of such excuses, thus creating a tailspin of never working for what you want, but thinking you should have what you want without the work.

It used to be that when hired for a job, you would work hard at this position. If you failed to do your position, you were coached or fired. There was no room for someone saying it was everyone else's fault.

Now, this is the world we live in. A world where someone believes showing up for their job should be credit enough for a job not done. A world where superiors offer excuses for those not doing their job when all hands may be needed on deck. Excuses that only cripple all those effected.

To me, regardless of what the job may be, regardless of how remedial, manual, or labor intensive, you do the best you can at all times. You do this whether someone is monitoring you or not. You work whether the boss is standing over your shoulder, or you are working on your own. If faced with a situation where the work load is larger than normal, you work harder to get the job done. You are not looking for the pat on the back - the job being done is thanks enough. Not so of today's world. To think this, to do this is becoming rare. And for those who do not work, you are only frustrating those around you.

Everything from time you arrive to the office, to how you do your job is no longer an issue as it would have been 5, 10, or 15 years ago. Those who worked 50 years ago would be shocked at the rate of apathy within our workforce today. Running late on a consistent basis is not running late; it is more likely you are apathetic to the rules of when you are to be at the office. Making excuses for a job not done is not that you cannot do the job, or ran out of time; it is more likely you are apathetic to the rules of doing your work. As a superior making excuses for those who do not do their job does not mean you are a good boss; it is more likely you are apathetic to the others in your department and not paying attention. It is like putting lime in coconut, hoping to reinvent something that already exists, and not caring when told it is already around.