# Is it odd to care about ones job? Why does it irritate people so often?



## 497882 (Nov 6, 2017)

So it really does not matter what I am assigned to do as work. I try to do a good job and considering you are paying me, I am obligated to provide decent service. If however, you are giving me proportionately much more work than coworkers and are paying me the same or less than I am far less motivated to put in the effort. Which is what my last job saw fit to do to me. 

Generally speaking when I get into a new job I am very good at picking up the vocabulary of whatever that job is. So I tend to know what the correct terms for all the products we are using. Which I did very good at English for this reason when I was in HS. So I guess this should not really be surprising in that context. 

Generally speaking bosses will be impressed if you can use the correct terms in a job. Many of my bosses would go so far as to quiz us on what terms mean, what the terms are used for and how to correctly use said items. Which I believe is a very important thing to know in any profession. I have later on become the manager and have done this to others and it seems its met with the same attitude of annoyance and one person went so far as to say me and my prior boss are simply arrogant A holes. Which I find to be a strange response. 

Why is it people do not want to be proficient in their occupation of choice? This behavior is always encouraged by my bosses and bosses generally like me for this reason. So its not like this type of behavior is harmful. 

This concept can be applied to cooking/accounting/medical even. 

If you are doing medical they will expect you know what each terms means, what each device is and when you need to use them for. In accounting they want you to know what the correct term is, in what context to use them so you know how to do the problem correctly. In cooking it helps if you know what type of cut you are dealing with because you need to know the consistency and flavor of the cut. Different cuts are better for certain types of meals.


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## Ms. Aligned (Aug 26, 2021)

Lol, there are two things going on here. 

The first would be a lack of communication and just job proficiency. I got a job which threw me into acronym world. At first I was overwhelmed and felt like I was working in another universe. So I quickly tried to learn all the terms and stuff, so I could at LEAST participate in conversations, and/or understand them. 

But then, there is the consultant company I'm currently working with that just cracks me the fuck up. It's like they developed their own vocabulary to sound more "professional" and it's so different from how anyone speaks. Things like, "Given the time horizon..." Lmao, the fuck is a "time horizon?" 

Google says: "A time horizon is *your investing timeline, or how long you plan to hold an asset before selling it*. Time horizon can also be your timeframe for achieving a financial goal, such as retirement. Some financial goals are more quickly achievable than others."

This made ABSOLUTELY NO sense in the context in which it was delivered. This company makes NO sense to me, because they use these words that No One else understands but then they take the time to explain the simplest of concepts in DETAIL. Reminds me of the movie Idiocracy. Lol, they've made up their own language to be as "cutting edge" as possible, but their talents are like, decades behind what one would expect and it's almost condescending when they want to then teach you concepts they think they're SO smart for going to college and understanding. 

One of the things that came up was, I was all, "Oh you have a typo there, it says houseless." "Right so, homeless is a very stigmatizing word, houseless is the correct word now." Lmao, 1 year into a project, you think it would be fun to change the vocabulary...When we're talking about specific vocabulary...And for WHAT major outcome oriented purpose? Do you REALIZE the change in term, would change the context of ALL the work we're doing?" LMAO

I can only assume the reason they feel the need to do this, is because half the time, we don't understand their language. It's the funniest shit ever, the disconnect in communication. You can't just change things to sound "progressive", words mean things.

To answer the OP though. I don't think it's odd at all and I think most people want some level of job satisfaction. A LOT of people don't want to have to learn on the job though. Clock in, clock out, and be done with it. The only time your motivations and goals may rub someone else the wrong way, is if you're trying to change them into appreciating work in the same way you do. Which is totally normal, btw. 

In those cases, (and I think I read you were in management), the job is inspiring them to care. Not teaching them to, and definitely not making them act like it.


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## Jagbas (Jul 8, 2015)

> This behavior is always encouraged by my bosses and bosses generally like me for this reason. So its not like this type of behavior is harmful.


Because they're bosses and they need to have full control and feel in charge. Bosses probably like you because you don't question them and just follow their directives. You are en employee but you work on the bosses side, instead of your fellow colleagues.



> If you are doing medical they will expect you know what each terms means, what each device is and when you need to use them for.


Exactly, they _expect_ you to know the terms and imo it sounds really condescending to quiz them. If they have been hired by the company and they're doing their job correctly, I don't see the need to be distrustful of their knowledge. Specially if they studied to work in that field, they've been quizzed enough.



> Why is it people don't want to be proficient in their occupation of choice?


They want to be proficient but just knowing the terms, without any other skill, won't make them proficient in their job. And if they already are good at their job, then they probably already know the terms. If I am good at something and someone comes quizzing me on words, I'd tell them to fuck off.



> I have later on become the manager and have done this to others and it seems its met with the same attitude of annoyance and one person went so far as to say me and my prior boss are simply arrogant A holes. Which I find to be a strange response.


How to blame them honestly? You are questioning their job without reason and in a condescending and arrogant way. You are showing them you have no trust in their skills. And you're showing your colleagues that you think you are superior and better than them.



I am very good at my job. They were impressed by how fast I learnt and I got assigned different tasks in a relatively short time. But I don't play the teachers game with my colleagues and I don't brag. They do their job as they see fit and if their goal is reached and they are happy with the result, then I have no right to question how they work. If they ask a question, I answer. If they need help, I help without taking over. If I see them struggling, I support them. Companies are made of people first and we're all in this together.


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## shameless (Apr 21, 2014)

My view is it sorta depends on the job.

While I do think people should carry out their basic responsibilities on a minimal level, as far as having pride or dignity. Yeah. And provide basic courteous customer service if it applies.

The older I get I don’t think people should all be the best burger flipper they can be. I think that quote Is stupid 🤣.

I’m sorry but I’ve worked fast food in my younger years. It requires the employee follow food and safety laws yes. Please don’t pick up my French fries off the floor 🤣. But I mean come on, it’s not fricken rocket science and I’m sorry it’s an industry that really doesn’t have alotta gain for the average highschool or college employee.

I’m using this example because, well “work smarter, not harder”. Unless someone is being promised a franchise for their hard work. I’d say it’s not really advantageous to ‘be the best damn burger flipper you can be’. There’s a difference between, being a shitty employee vs setting a limit depending on whether the job is worth it.

And I say this haven been in roles elevating others. I’d say it was wasted but in my case it wasn’t because I was able to bust through a ceiling, mainly because I signed up for work above my pay grade to learn the stuff. But that was like interning. But the reality is very few people of my class, and education bust past. And all I’ve seen is they get used up by many managers.

And just to be clear I’m not some giant success now. I don’t have some fancy prestigious position. I’m saying me haven been a teen mother, highschool drop out, to later single mother etc. (Well I later completed my HS, and did attend 3 years university but I did not complete my degree)

I’m simply saying I had to bust ass and work for free to get my own internship through on the job work study, lol. Just to bust through to mid level. After several years of working 100 hrs a week, yes a week not a pay period. I’m honestly lucky I didn’t fucken kill myself with the malnourishment I had from forgetting to eat from working so much. I got severe mania from 2 years straight of not sleeping like a normal person should. I can’t imagine what I did to my body. What started as being determined to do anything to get my daughters better resources and security became an obsession.

I don’t want to say I did not benefit. Because I obviously have insight. And it gained me a crap ton of experience and knowledge that very few people with my specific background, coming from the ground and working your way literally up and being able to give perspective from haven seen firsthand is huge. But at the cost of my health? I probably took ten years off of my life for that. For what?

Honestly my kids are coming of age, and I didn’t need to harm my health in order to pursue anything for them. Because they learned just from having a single mom and coming to work with me seeing all kinds of people they wanted more.

I honestly never did care about status though in the bureaucratic sense anyways. Until my kids started to get into later elementary and I thought about their prospects and futures.

Anyways I now realize I raised kids who have ambitions and aren’t likely to struggle as I did. And they’ll probably wait until they’re able to afford they’re kids after they have a career.

We all joke all the time that I’ll probably get a position I worked my ass off for at a higher level, and be like fuck it I’m going to go chill by the Jimmy Buffet mid life drunks and get toasted on a beach the last 20 years, lol.

Honestly most of that old school work your ass off stuff just doesn’t work for most people. I’ve seen so many people coming from my backyard get used up and buttered up. I’ve gotten treated shitty too. But I can sorta pass myself off as more polished or elegant if I need to. I.e speaking/dressing for environment. Not acting ghetto 🤣.

Anyways I’d say if ya wanna get ahead it’s more about social politics, nepotism, association, education, or experience.

So if you don’t meet the association nepotism inner circle it’s better to have plan b. And that’s extensive experience (not passing self off with words), or education. And if the job does not require education or experience it probably is not worth busting your ass for.

I didn’t say anything to you I don’t already say to my kids.

As much as I take pride in how far I’ve come. I also think it’s really sorta counter intuitive. What work a bunch and then die.

Yes do your job. But don’t do anything extra unless it’s synergy.


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## Ms. Aligned (Aug 26, 2021)

OOPS I not only got to that part of the evening where I'm a bit tipsy, but also the part I just start posting random songs that make sense to me. Good night, everyone. Lol!


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## 497882 (Nov 6, 2017)

Jagbas said:


> Because they're bosses and they need to have full control and feel in charge. Bosses probably like you because you don't question them and just follow their directives. You are en employee but you work on the bosses side, instead of your fellow colleagues.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So if they were they proficient at a job wouldn't they know what everything was called and how to use them? Why would they get angry if you don't know any of this stuff and you explain it? Also if they don't know the names of anything you can't say grab the "name of item". They have no idea what you are telling them.


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## Jagbas (Jul 8, 2015)

MisterDexter said:


> So if they were they proficient at a job wouldn't they know what everything was called and how to use them? Why would they get angry if you don't know any of this stuff and you explain it? Also if they don't know the names of anything you can't say grab the "name of item". They have no idea what you are telling them.


Well, if the "name of items" was not already covered in their studies and it's important to the company, then the company should make an introductory course to all new employees so that everyone gets the necessary knowledge to perform their job and no one is singled out and made feel bad for what they don't know. There's better ways imo to teach people important information than humiliating them with quizzes or pointing out their lacunae or assuming that they don't care about their job. Bosses are not being good at their job if they don't also care about the human component of their company.


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## 497882 (Nov 6, 2017)

Jagbas said:


> Well, if the "name of items" was not already covered in their studies and it's important to the company, then the company should make an introductory course to all new employees so that everyone gets the necessary knowledge to perform their job and no one is singled out and made feel bad for what they don't know. There's better ways imo to teach people important information than humiliating them with quizzes or pointing out their lacunae or assuming that they don't care about their job. Bosses are not being good at their job if they don't also care about the human component of their company.


So why would you be against teaching New Hires if you believe that they should all know these things off the bat and you believe no one would ever have to learn anything? Also you might not realize this but most often bosses teach as it goes and if you have a company which has a bunch of rotating shifts its a little difficult to get everyone in one room at a time. Simply picking up a Mandoline and saying "This is called a Mandoline slicer and its used to" is teaching them. 

Now say some one knows the basics of cooking and you are as a company are willing to "Teach" them you would have to teach them whatever they do not already know. If say they do not know terms for basic utensils but they know the basics of cooking than it makes sense to show them things.


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