How to Keep Your Job in Troubled Times
Photo: Danny Johnston
In troubled times, people worry. If they have jobs, they worry about the pay scale staying where it is. They worry about whether or not they’ll keep those jobs. And many, many people worry about how they will live if the work comes to an end.
Worry. Now that’s a recipe for health disaster.
The question is: What can be done to prevent it? And: Is there anything you can do to keep your pay packet intact, or perhaps even expand it? Is there something that can be done to help you keep your job during times of economic trouble?
There is a solution, though not completely foolproof, and I’ll explain why in a bit. But think about this:
What is it that people are buying when they purchase something? What causes you to part with money in order to obtain something else? First of all, you have to want something. That’s taken for granted.
But when people are ready to buy, they buy value for money. Now value for money is not a precise science. It is an internal value judgement by the person who is buying. When you buy, you want to get value for money – every time.
Do you think your employer is any different? He, too, wants value for money, and the way you give him value for money is tied up with your personal productivity levels.
Let’s say you work in a typing pool. Your productivity is the number of words you can type without error in a given period of time.
If you run moulding machines, productivity is the number of moulded products created in a period of time that are defect free.
If your business is a print shop, it would be the number of pages the 5-color printer can print in a period of time. Turn up the speed please, and charge by the page.
Now you’re a worker. How do you measure your productivity? Don’t know? Then how do you intend to increase your value to your employer? Get the idea?
In today’s troubled times, value for money is increasingly important. It’s important to you when you shop, and it ought to be just as important to you as a seller of your labor.
If you don’t know what your productivity levels are, then begin to measure the time it takes you to complete certain tasks. Then, find creative ways to increase your output in the same amount of time.
Your labor, your skills, your ability to take a business approach to yourself is your real wealth. Since money follows wealth, then get your wealth factors right, and the money will follow.
Ian Hodge is an accomplished musician and music teacher, an executive manager and a management consultant to business owners.
Dr. Hodge began his working career as a professional musician. His interest in Christian economic theory, however, led to a move into the investment industry, where he made his way to the ranks of executive management. His first position as a CEO outside of his own company was a turnaround situation, and he found this was “his” place in the business world. For the past 16 years has been a business consultant to help turn around struggling businesses. He has clients in USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
He actively uses his consulting skills to help train church pastors, elders and deacons in leadership and church growth practices.
As a musician, he worked with several singers around Australia and the South Pacific as their accompanist and music director.
A current project is the development of SonCross Academy, an online school that starts with the Bible, providing lessons in music theory and piano, economics, business, history, philosophy and theology for ages 8+. www.soncrossacademy.org.
Ian Hodge received his Ph.D. degree from Whitefield Seminary in “Christian Intellectual Thought – Economics”. He has written over 500 articles on topics such as business management, economics, education, law, finance, health, philosophy, politics, theology, and music as he explores the application of a biblical world view. He runs his own blog at www.biblicallandmarks.com.
He is the author of:
· Why Would Anyone In Their Right Mind Believe the Bible? An introduction to the Christian Faith.
· Baptized Inflation: A Critique of “Christian” Keynesianism.
· Is This The End of Religious Liberty? The Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance Based on Religion or Belief.
· Making Sense of Your Dollars: A Biblical View of Wealth.
· How To Be Diabetes Free . . . For Life. An analysis of the biology of diabetes, and how this disease can be prevented and even halted.
· Ian Hodge’s Read, Write & Play Music, a self-teaching program that instructs young students on how to write (compose) music.
· Powerhouse Piano, online video and live lessons in classical piano.
· Publisher, editor, William the Baptist. A classic in Christian literature, reissued with an introduction by Dr. Hodge.
In his spare time, Ian can be found actively debating atheists on his city streets and elsewhere (anywhere) whenever the opportunity arises.
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