It’s easy to do mediocre work.
How?
By doing the bare minimum.
You might even convince yourself, “No matter how much work I put in, my pay is still the same, so why bother?“
Then you build a habit out of mediocrity, like a resignation on life itself, and the next thing you know, you become a bystander of your life.
You might even think your retaliation would hurt your company or your boss. “You get what you pay for,“ you say to the management.
But as I think about this thoroughly, as someone who have worked with exemplary and poor managements, doing mediocre work in the long run hurts the one who does it. It’s counterproductive.
Why?
Because the fruit of your labor shows what kind of person you are. And suppose you only aim to deliver mediocre work, to break even with your employer, who you think has dealt with you poorly (perhaps they’ve really dealt you poorly). In that case, you end up wasting the opportunity of building your track record, which could help you bounce to a better job with better pay.
You know what, your life doesn’t end with your current employer. Even if I had been in the workforce for only three years, working with different people, some good leaders and some just poor managers, I could have made the poor ones an excuse to underdeliver.
And delayed pays are the worst, yes? Especially when you would have wanted to live a certain lifestyle, delayed salaries and even underpayment become extreme demotivators. I’ve been there too, you see.
But have you forgotten that you agreed with the rate before you committed to the job?
Perhaps, you have to learn more about salary negotiation, but that would be for another blog post. Maybe, it’s time to move on. Or maybe, you need to see yourself at the workplace in a different light.
Instead of seeing yourself rotting at the workplace, make it an opportunity to create a kind of habit and system you want to bring to your next job.
Because no one can keep a burning candle hidden for long, the smoke eventually comes out, and you’d be surprised that you get noticed if you continue to deliver your best. Maybe not now, and nor in the company you are working with. But your day will surely come.
You must realize that what you do is not only for your boss or company. You do it for you. And your future self too.
I remember a friend telling me how someone reminded him of me just because of the similarity in workmanship.
So you see? I was remembered by the kind of work I do.
Therefore, I’d say, the quality of work you produce also speaks to what kind of person you are.
So if you feel like doing mediocre work does you good, my answer is no. It’s like quitting on your future self who could offer so many things you can’t imagine now (yet).
Don’t quit on yourself.
jessa 