Pulling Weight

Have you ever been told to pull your own weight?

It's an interesting concept. It is as if it isn't something you already do every day. In fact, to get out of bed you usually pull your own weight. But that is not what people are talking about.

You know what they mean. They mean do your job, as best as humanly possible, clean up after yourself, go an extra mile if you can... etc.

Have you ever been told to work as part of the team?

This is also an interesting concept. They aren't talking about a sports team, which is what someone would typically think of when someone says "that team really works together" or something.

But again, you know what they mean, right?

Being a part of a team, pulling your weight in a team, also means picking up the slack others leave behind. As their team mate, you know that they didn't leave that slack because they are lazy. They left it because for whatever reason, they had to leave it.

Take this team in this image here. There are a million images like it, a team of people working together at a common goal. Now, picture this: this team is walking along with the goal of moving the "teamwork" sign without setting it down, and an obstacle gets in the way, such as a long fence with a gate. One team mate goes to unlock the gate, and open it, while the other two hold the whole weight of the sign temporarily.

You are pulling that teammate's weight... but you couldn't have moved forward without them!


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I am so tired. I am tired of the nitty-gritty. Things that matter in my work environment, in order:

Safety (of customer & worker) (from cleanliness to avoiding hazards)
Customer's desires (from timeliness, to the right product... basic satisfaction)
Sales & Product/Production (get things out on the sales-floor to sell, and in-person sales like explaining products to customers, and offering up-sales and deals.)

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If you practice these things, and put your best out there, pull your weight, and work as a team pulling others' weight when necessary, then you should do good business, right?

So why, then does it come down to all these different things that don't matter?

[End Rant.]