Hard work

This week’s e-mails include an invocation from a sales guru who advocates, “Do whatever it takes,” as hard work is the only thing that will lead to success. He goes on to state that knowledge and experience seem to be valued greater in employees rather than hard work, common courtesy, and the ability to multi-task and handle things without supervision. “Big mistake”, he claims. He suggests that experience and knowledge are learned, accumulated over time, and may not be recognized until many years of dedicated activity in a career slot. He goes on to imply that a strong, solid work ethic and the burning desire to succeed are more important but are neither taught nor learned. They are apparently innate and are the characteristics that are most noticeable about employees. Oh dear, I’ll spare his blushes and not name him but, if you want to know who he is, send me an e-mail. Curiously, in the same postbox – how does one refer to one’s e-mail receipts en-masse? – a mailing concerning the TUC’s report about the increasing tendency for the UK workforce to work long hours, averaging 48 hours a week apparently. That's still quite a way short of the average working week for a self-employed business person methinks, and definitely short of the average work output of the largely unpaid woman, AKA wife or mother.