When I think about the many people I worked with and met during my career, I found most fall into one of two categories. Some want more than they do, and others do more than they want. Is one type better than the other? Let's explore this subject.
When you place people into one of two categories, there is always the argument some are between the two. However, to best understand each type, it helps to look at the extremes. Doing so will help us appreciate and differentiate the two.
"Unless the job means more than the pay it will never pay more." H. Bertram Lewis (1918)
Those who want more than they do
The question is, what do these employees want more of? Most want more pay, autonomy, breaks, time off, vacation, health insurance coverage, comfortable working conditions, perks, and more of anything else they can get. That is a lot of more!
At the extreme, these employees are rarely satisfied and often feel entitled to more. It boils down to their expectation of what they should have versus what they get for what they do. Such people are usually dissatisfied with their job and tend to complain in general. If you have worked more than a few years, you have met many such people.
Customers can also fall into these categories, by the way. But let's stick with those we work with as the focus of this article. What makes some people feel like they should earn more for less work? The answer to this could fill many books, so let's see if we can find a straightforward way to understand the basics.
The biggest thing you will notice about such people is they tend to have a fixed mindset. They are often against change, and their attitude stinks, for lack of a better word. They are often worriers, although they may act like they don't care. They think the world owes them a living, and they shouldn't have to work so hard.
You could say many people leaning this direction have stinking thinking, or "stinkin thinkin" as we say in the south. If you are not familiar with the term, It is simply a bad way of thinking, or as the well-known psychologists Albert Ellis says, it is "the human tendency to persistently engage with thoughts that do not serve us."
The bottom line for such dissatisfied people who live in a first-world country is their thoughts and attitude.
"Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are." James Allen (1864-1912)
Those who do more than they want
There are plenty of people who are satisfied with their job and what they receive. Many recent surveys put job satisfaction above 50%. These are the type of people you want to hire or work with. They tend to be more dedicated to doing a good day's work, rarely complain, and rarely if ever, feel entitled.
A fundamental difference between those who want more than they do and those who do more than they want is in the way they see the world – their mindset.
If you are not familiar with the two mindsets, fixed and growth, check out this short article: A New Frame of Mind. In essence, a fixed mindset restricts the way you think, while a growth mindset expands your thinking. Another way to put this is that the fixed mindset world is smaller with far less opportunity, while for those with a growth mindset, the world is their oyster!
Yes, these two mindsets are behind the difference between those who want more and those who do more in the world. Or stated another way, the differentiator between these two types of employees is the way they think and their attitude.
"We cannot choose the things that will happen to us. But we can choose the attitude we will take toward anything that happens. Success or failure depends on your attitude." Alfred Armand Montapert (1906-1997)
Final thoughts
Which type of employee would you rather have working for or with you? It's an open and shut case for most of us!
The way a person thinks connects to their mindset, which can create their attitude. It is only common sense that those with a good attitude will go further than those with a bad one. Attitude makes all the difference in the world!
Heed the following words of a wise man:
"I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude." Charles W. Swindoll (1934-present)
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