Leave on Time
Tech has a boner for passion that’s killing passion.
I sold stuff on the weekends not so long ago.
It was a 3-person operation. The manager would work Monday through Friday. I worked 8-hour days on the weekends.
They were a small business. This was their livelihood.
And they still didn’t demand I care about the job more than they were paying me to.
“They’re only here for the money.”
Yes — That’s the main contractual agreement of employment. You wouldn’t just give me money for existing in your presence.
That’s what work is about.
“Show me you’re here for more than the money.”
Why? Why isn’t it enough to care about the job you set in front of me? It’s always the people at jobs that are not life and death, or reasonably time sensitive, who want to judge people on their enthusiasm output.
Excuse me if my passion wanes a smidge at your premium ping pong table startup.
Newsflash; There’s a great chance your job doesn’t justify 40 hours a week. You work that much is because Henry Ford thought it was great decades ago.
Most companies have not changed for a variety of reasons — Shareholder appeal, logistics, or just stuck in the past.
Jobs are important because the people who do them should be treated with courtesy, not because we work in tech. Every job has challenging aspects, but the garbage collectors work harder to keep our areas clean.
A ‘for’ loop doesn’t do that.
Sometimes, passion Looks Different.
I don’t jump, shout in meetings, or act like a 9 year old at a Roblox Convention at business meetings — Does that mean I’m not passionate?
Consider the following:
- Passionate to work on software that changes how doctors interact with patients.
- Passion about learning new technology to add to their resume.
- Passion about paying their bills and having a roof over their heads.
- Genuine passion about the product you hired them to work on.
None of these are wrong.
Sometimes, it’s a good question.
“You don’t seem excited about the work.” Can lead to follow-up questions, like:
- “Would you be happier on another team?”
- “Is there something in particular you’d like to do that could help us?”
- “Is everything okay?”
- “Do you need some extra support?”
In that case — Well done! You are a decent and caring manager. Now, if all of those questions get “No”s and you revert back to “Well, show some dedication to the job.”, then I take my praise back.
Sometimes, it doesn’t even matter.
I have had recruiters of companies unknown to me reach out. I showed ‘passion’ for the months I waited for hiring to resume in 2020. Kept in contact, asked how people were doing, went to virtual events.
Everything you should do — And I am here without that job.
I have used user referrals and had recruiters in question thank the person for referring me — Here I am, without that job.
The ‘right’ thing did not employ me. I’m not inclined to believe that networking works.
Tech — and jobs in general — Don’t realize that the person delivering the best outward circus-dog performance doesn’t equal the person delivering the most worthwhile “value” to your company.
Sorry to get all LinkedIn on you there.
A wonderful book about this is “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain. It’s very cultural — The United States values those who speak, no matter what. Don’t question them, just nod, if they’re speaking, they must be right.
Other countries value thoughtful silence, questions, not going along to get along.
There’s bravery in speaking up — I’m not saying outspoken people are not on a higher level mentally because they have something to say. But those are the people who are praised no matter what. By speaking up, you share and voice problems that we can all solve.
Be a better employer, be a better person: Value quiet and thought alongside speaking up.
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