If Work Rocks

... we would all do it for free.

No truer words spoken by Scott Adams in his book 'The Dilbert Principle'.

I recall once having a conversation with a company director I once during dinner. The conversation eventually moved towards everybody's life etc.

The guy told us about how he rarely sleeps more than 6 hours a day and have to be at on business even during weekends, sometimes without days off because let's face it, people in commerce will would try to do whatever they can for opportunities regardless of the day or risk missing out on what could amount to a big contract.

I don't fault that logic - besides I can see from his point of view that the harder one works - especially for directors in his shoes - the better the returns at the end of the day. Business grow or shrink on what these traders do at the negotiation table, the more the frequency the higher the chance of a good deal coming through. We should work harder he says, the company prospers, we would also prosper.

Even if they happen to be 'pals' with us, I didn't quite have the stomach to tickle the dragon that day by mentioning that for the rest of us employees, we could work as hard as he is or even more - 9am to 2am, work through lunch etc - weekends et al; the end result is still just our monthly salaries. We don't have 'dividends' to receive at the end of the year if sales increase by 15%. Bonuses are often afterthoughts after the shareholders have gotten their share of the 15% of extra profit.

That is why I don't touch the laptop or access company resources when I'm at home except in time-sensitive circumstances that require over the clock responses.

That's one of the problems with global trade - business day ends in Asia and it just begins in Europe. So practically you can submit a proposal, PO, letter or quotation between 7:00 - 12:00 am, receive a quick response within the next hour or so before going to sleep, then use the information for the next business day. There had been cases of mostly my ex-colleagues sitting in the office to finish a weekly update just because the partner's office starts at 9:00 our time and the local customer requires daily updates.

All fine and dandy, as long as it doesn't involve me due to the reasons above. Besides tradesmen have a reason to stay active in the market part from the frequency reasons. It's also due to their obligation or ambition to expand the business. The old saying is true, that one doesn't get rich doing their day jobs.

Do you want to be rich? Be ready to sacrifice most of your life to harder work than the average person is willing to do.