The Divisions of Work

Doing or having a job often involves participation in a partnership.  However, there are distinct divisions of work and partnerships.  We should be mindful of these divisions as they dictate what is achieved and received from the collaborative effort.  The words at, for, and with indicate the level at which one is involved in the work being performed.

Ever heard someone say they work at XYZ Company?  That is exactly what they mean; they do work while they are at the company/on the clock.  These people rarely have a sense of ownership for the tasks they are assigned.  An easy way to tell if you work at XYZ Company is if you’ve ever said, “As long as my paycheck is right on Friday, nothing else matters.”  When the clock’s hands touch quitting time, or maybe even before, you bolt out of the door like suspects during an FBI drug raid.  Your loyalty is to the money and not the job you were hired to perform.  If another company offers to pay you more money to do something completely different, you’re gone.  While there’s nothing wrong with that in essence, you need to figure out if this is what you want for your life and the lives of your children, for those who have children.  What were your dreams when you were a child?  Was it to spend 8 hours a day taking sandwich orders?  Was it to work two jobs, one as a telemarketer during the day and one stocking shelves at night?  If not, how much more time will you spend working at these places.  We tell our kids they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up; but do we really believe that?  What they see us do becomes embedded in their psyche as they mature to where if they get to a point where they no longer believe they can be what the want to be, they can at least be what we were.   If we don’t prove to them that the sky is the limit then is it really true?

Working for a company or individual is a bit different than just being on the premises.  The context of the word for in this case means “on behalf of.”  This is why politicians always say they will work hard for you or your communities.  What would happen if a senator just worked at the senate with no further connection to the work he was elected to perform?  You know you work for XYZ Company when your superior, or co-worker, can call you on your time to discuss work; and I don’t mean to complain about the job.  Your level of engagement is much deeper, giving you a sense of ownership over the tasks for which you are responsible.  Your position within the company provides a feeling of pride that motivates you to do more and more to help the company, and yourself, advance.  You know the mission, the vision, and the credo of the company like the back of your hand, not because you memorized it, because you live it.

Working with a company is the on the opposite end of the gamut from working at a company.  This expresses a true partnership where, in most cases, you are a business yourself.  Whether you are a consultant, contractor, confidential informant, community leader, or a customer focus group, you willfully enter into the partnership to work toward a mutually beneficial result.  You may or may not be compensated with money.  The level of respect for and from each party is much different given the necessity of each side’s contribution.  The barrier of entry to this type of work relationship is a bit higher than being employed at or for a particular job.  Working with a company requires a proven track record and knowledge in the field of interest on behalf of both parties.  A consultant can tell a business owner what to do to improve their business even though the consultant has never done the type of work the company performs.  This is because the consultant has an interest in the details of the business itself and not the products or services the business provides.  The business owner willingly adheres to the advice of the consultant since what he has tried on his own has previously failed.  Confidential informants want their communities exterminated, freed from the criminal element that plagues their tranquility.  Therefore, they do the best job at providing complete information that will allow the authorities to do their best.  In either case, there is work being performed at a high level due to the results that are expected from both parties.         

Working is a necessary element of life.  With that in mind, two questions await your answer: Where are you now and where would you like to be?  You can work at, for, or with whatever and whoever you choose.  Your position in life is determined by your ambition and your effort.  Life resembles the game of checkers, whereas any piece can make the move that is in front of it, but the king can make any move it wants.  Which piece do you want to be? 

--Linwood R. Butler, Jr.     

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