Comments on: The Everyday Employee

By: new blog reader

new blog reader — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:41:41 +0000

I believe that if you’re truly passionate about your work, the line will be blurred between work and play. Only people that hate their jobs or don’t like what they are doing will draw a line between work hours and off hours. Work is supposed to be fun, not a drag.

p.s. work sucks for me and i can’t wait to quit…haha.

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:43:21 +0000

I’m pretty sure I’ve read articles that talk about how it’s psychologically unhealthy to work during vacations and weekends and such, and to not take time completely off. However, I also think that this usually refers to stressed people who probably hate going to work anyway.

By: pooter

pooter — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:20:21 +0000

I also know Dan and I’m 100% sure he didn’t mean to be condescending. It just came off that way.

By: EJ

EJ — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:30:33 +0000

Knowing Dan, I didn’t take it as condescending. It also makes it easier to perform well when the expectations are clear.

By: pooter

pooter — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:26:16 +0000

I don’t disagree with any of that. And I’d go one step further and say that even in a non-startup, someone who wants to get ahead shouldn’t try to draw a line between their work and non-work hours.

I just think you sounded kind of condescending is all.

So are you going to give me a job or what? I’m going to be in Texas next week.

By: Dan Graham

Dan Graham — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:52:59 +0000

At a startup, you don’t have the luxury of being able to survive a union-like work ethic with strict lines separating work hours from non work hours. It’s a ‘make things happen’ environment and if you can’t do that then the company has to find someone who can in order to be successful.

I hope that is obvious to everyone who chooses to work at a startup and thus the idea of being harder working shouldn’t be offensive to any of those people. If it is, it may not be a bad thing to do some offending because they should know already.

By: pooter

pooter — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:05:39 +0000

I agree that in a world with Blackberries and high-speed internet at home there is every opportunity for participating in work during non-work hours (I answered an email on my Blackberry this past Saturday morning and consequently spent the whole weekend working). So, I’m not disagreeing with the substance of *what* you’ve written. Rather, if I was an employee of yours, I’d take offense to *how* it’s written.

By: Dan Graham

Dan Graham — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:53:09 +0000

=) I hope they do. I’m not trying to say that it is my expectation for employees to take my advice, only to point out that there is a very obvious contrast between employees who do and ones who don’t — a contrast that could likely make the difference between advancement and stagnation in a job.

I always try to hire people who have a passion for their jobs and who are excited to advance and learn everyday. For these people, it comes naturally anyway.

By: pooter

pooter — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:13:09 +0000

I hope your employees don’t read your blog…