What makes someone worth it?

The professional-level employee:

• Easily distracted
• Lacks professionalism (attire, manners)
• Lacks verbal skills
• Openly speaks of other, better jobs out there
• Surfs the web for 20 minutes at a time
• Average performer

Question #1: If you were the manager of the employee described above, would you keep him? In today's economy, when organizations are struggling to make revenue goals to keep people employed, how far would you go for the employee described?

Isn't there a line to draw somewhere? Isn't it acceptable to release that employee to find that "other, better job" and replace him with one of the highly skilled laid off people who would love to work there?

Unless the employee brings something valuable to the business, such as his family business is their largest client or he is friends with Jack Nicholson who will give you court-side seats to the Lakers-Orlando series, it may be time to let the employee go.

Managers today do not have time to mentor, much less to babysit someone who makes the company look bad to clients, negatively affects morale, barely meets deadlines, and submits substandard work. As nice as the employee may be, there is no time for managers to waste on people who are not worth it. Someone who does not want to be there, and behaves like it, is not worth it.

Question #2: If you are the employee described above, how long will you continue the behavior and expect to remain employed?

This is the time to bring your A game to work every day. This is not the time to slack off on the Internet, complain about petty things, demand raises for size of workload (hint: it's not the quantity which usually earns raises!), pick fights with coworkers, or tell a client your boss can't come to the phone because he is in the loo (a real example, but I cleaned up the wording).

I've posted about it before, but take note, this is the time many employers are trading up. They are letting sub-standard performers go and replacing them with people who will bring their A game to work daily. Employers are finding superstars among the unemployed, so unless you perform at a superstar level, your job could be in jeopardy. Don't risk it by being unprofessional.

Bring your A game and show them you are worth it every day.