Maybe it’s time to do a 180 degree shift on the subject of maintaining employment continuity.
Much has been written on how to get and keep a job; I sometimes wonder if the guidance being offered by so many “experts” is resonating with people. Volumes of advice in a world with so much communications clutter often goes unheard despite its worth.
So let’s try a contrarian approach and see if it strikes a nerve with young professionals wanting to understand how they can increase their chances of surviving in a world of upheaval, unpredictability and chaos.
The actions you can take to contribute to prematurely ending your employment are:
1. Expect more than your employer offers and make sure others know it. You are entitled to certain things from your employer and when they don’t deliver, speak up (loudly) about it.
You are the new generation of workers, and it is critical that the employment community understands that they need to deliver work differently than in the past.
2. Work YOUR agenda rather than the organization’s. It’s about YOU and seeking ways to satisfy your own personal needs. They take priority over what the organization wants to accomplish.
Express how the company can support you rather than how you can play a part in helping the organization can succeed.
3. Be “the only child”. Do your own thing .
Avoid working on teams. Look for tasks that you can do on your own and have complete control over the outcome.
Teams require consensus building and you lose your identity with the outcome.
4. Never offer to step outside your job description. Do only what is expected It’s important that you establish boundaries in terms of what you will and will not go beyond.
Related: Why Biting the Dog Is the Key to Being Remarkable
5. Avoid spending time and engaging with your colleagues. You don’t want to make friends with people at work; it could lead to teamwork projects.
In addition, they could ask you for a personal favour requiring you to step up and step out.
6. Complain about what’s not working in the organization, and NEVER offer to do anything about it. Keep a record of what you find that is wrong with the company’s operating procedures and policies; deal them up when you have the right senior management audience.
7. Be the same as everyone else; copy what they do . Never offer anything creative or different than every other employee. You don’t want to stand-out from the crowd ; you’ll be noticed and perhaps rewarded for doing something special.
8. Duck your head when someone asks for volunteers to work extra time. Play the “balance work and lifestyle” card. Taking on extra work without being paid is verboten.
It signals that you are willing to go the extra mile and that you care about what the organization does.
9. Actively promote yourself to other organizations and be seen doing it. You want your boss to know you are always on the lookout for better opportunities and that other organizations are headhunting you.
It gives you leverage for feeding the entitlement you feel you deserve.
10. Stay away from any of the company’s social responsibility tasks that arise. Being part of how the organization meets its community obligations will only require you to take time from your personal life .
It’s easy to lose your job if you follow to this 10-step process.
But don’t expect overnight results; it could take months for your boss to pay attention to your actions and fire you.