GN Commentary: June 5, 2009 - Talking Yourself Out of a Job

A major reason why people get fired is because they disrupt the work of others with gossip and talking about personal problems. Are you literally talking yourself out of a job?

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Video Transcript

A notice on a company bulletin board said,

"Due to increased competition and a keen desire to stay in business, we find it necessary to institute a new policy. We are asking that somewhere between starting time and quitting time, and without infringing on the time devoted to lunch, coffee breaks, rest periods, storytelling, ticket selling, vacation planning, and rehashing of gossip, each employee endeavors to find some time that can be set aside and known as the "Work Break". This may seem a radical innovation, but we believe the idea has possibilities. It can conceivably be an aid to steady employment and regular pay checks. While adoption of the Work Break is not compulsory, it is hoped that each employee will find time to give it a fair trial."

A major reason why people get fired is because they disrupt the work of others with gossip and talking about personal problems. Are you literally talking yourself out of a job?

Get a small notebook, or a daily business planner, and divide the day into fifteen minute segments. Then for a couple of weeks keep a diary and see what you actually accomplish during the day. Employers need employees who do their work, not tie up valuable time talking.

Solomon wrote: "In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter only leads to poverty"(Proverbs 14:23).

For GN Magazine, I'm Gary Petty.