We’ve been taught that being an indispensable employee means staying on top of our tasks, it means meeting deadlines, being punctual and always doing more than what we’re asked. But what if it didn’t mean all that? What if it came down to something that had no relation to our job?
Baseball, football, coffee and lunch have one thing in common. Can you guess what it is? Back in October, NY Mag published an article about these four words, and do you know what they found? These words prevented employees from losing their jobs when layoffs came around. That’s right. Baseball, football, coffee and lunch worked as a shield. Over a two year span, researchers* monitored employee E-mails and found that the use of these four words saved employees from getting laid off. These employees weren’t necessarily the best workers or the most productive, but they were the most social, the most liked.
Germans are punctual. They’re not only punctual – they invented punctuality! Spaniards have got to accept it; punctuality is not their strong point. For a Spaniard, arranging to meet at 11 perhaps means to only leave the house at 11. Their “I’m almost there” can put an end to patience, and to business!
