WOW! Meta-Versally speaking.

The larger picture: As in the whole worldwide World of Work. Prompted by my-Self, upon realizing that there's a bit of unfinished business, a little more work to be done, in order to completely cover this whole return-to-work or, more specifically the growing trend of having to tend to biz in person at least part time, to present your-self. I'll pick up right where I left you off, which was at the "Employee Orientation" (how many of you actually showed up?). An "Orientation" that might, as you cynically anticipate, will be chock full of "blah, blah, blah..." as in new, updated R & R (read: Rules and Regs, not what you hoped for). But here, in a much larger context, the one I may have once again been culpable of glossing over, is how employees, past and present, view their jobs, responsibilities, assigned tasks..."Work!". That is, to say, how they and you are oriented. As in their most basic attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and expectations...It's not only the things at the office that have changed. At least be the looks and sounds of it...worlds apart...

By contrast: While not a situation of extremes, as in polar opposites, it is instructional and at least a bit enlightening, to consider -- to "compare and contrast" (once again, a favorite exercise of my one professor-cum-mentor) attitudes of those over there as well as here...and the ones from yesteryear, and the ones of those who are ostensibly seeking "work" or "employment" -- call it whatever you want and categorize these in the most economical but also comprehensive way possible in the space allotted (back then it meant "in 150 words minimum and no more than 650" or, the average length of a college essay😔😉") Ambitious undertaking, but I think I'm up to it...

Going beyond the obvious: As in "They" over there, as so many students who have had the luxury (as in "bought and paid for") opportunity to "study abroad" or the ones who did it "on the cheap" by back-packing around Europe, come back telling US "Hey, you're working too hard...they work to live while we, here in the U.S. and its constituents...live to work...it's as if you're all Puritanical about this thing...there's more to life..." This from the "mouths of babes" and others "who have yet to put in an honest day's work" Yep, the in-experienced as compared to those of us with many years of "earning a living" under our belts, not only reflected by an expanding waistline if we spend too much of our day behind a desk, but also accompanied, in many cases by other signs of "worker burnout" which can, by the time we finally say something, also be preceded by sleeplessness, diurnal narcolepsy ("wake up and get back to work you no good so-and-so!") and even ulcers -- beyond those that we frequently lament upon coming home "this job's gonna' give me an ulcer!" there are some who actually have one, two, but refrain getting them checked out, diagnosed, as "I have too much to do..." But before I run out of time and your (im)patience, let me at least introduce you to the two groups, people, so-called "workers of interest" -- those who will be a topic of conversation for some time to come (TBD)...

Group #1 (or A if you'd rather): The ones who have been coming to work all along, staying after on occasion, even if it's not entitled "over-time" due perhaps to being "on salary" -- the ones who need minimal supervision, and don't grumble (until arriving home, at least) -- introducing the "Up and at 'em's!" Which will, in the next post, with more elaboration, and some self-defacing humor, be contrasted, compared in some worker-related dimensions, with...

Group #2 (or Gen Z-Z--Zs,  the one we, of yesteryear, like to complain about): The never ceasing, excessive complainers, the ones that older, "seasoned veterans" view as "coming to work with an attitude, if they come at all...it's as if they think they're in-titled, royalty...regardless of how under-qualified they are..." This well describes those from the other side of this discussion, the ones who, these days, from the looks of it, when you go just about anywhere and look around for some "Help-er" are either hold-outs or stand out, as in are "conspicuous by their absence" I'm sure with these clues and main job descriptors, you've already met (or not, more likely, as they are not "present!") some of the so-called "Up, and (maybe) Coming" -- "I got up, didn't I...up and out of my parents' basement...I'll get there when I'm good and ready...give me a break already!" (the latter prior to even arriving).  Only a slight change of punctuation, but could not be more different in effect, from the group traditionally characterized as "a person beginning a particular activity or occupation who is already making good progress, likely to be successful...an "Up and coming" type of aspiring professional, for example...and their affiliates...

More to be said for: Or, if you prefer -- "On behalf of" Or even "Leaves a lot to be desired" As in the upcoming post(s)...more exercises in sharper contrasts...within and between groups -- come back to see where you might fall. In the coming days..."Take your attitude to work daze" along with "The long view: from career path-ways to what does re-tired-meant even mean?" Not to neglect "The most vulnerable workers" -- a group that, in and of itself, has changed, based on what I've been reading and over-hearing, lately...