Where did all the good workers go?

I haven't done my mandatory "Who Am I?" post yet. I am planning on doing it shortly. However, from what you have read about me so far you may have figured out a couple of things. One being that I have a management position with a large company. I don't have people that report directly to me, but I have to over see about 113 people and make sure they are getting our inventory out. Some of those people read this blog as they read some of yours and found me via you. So I'm sure some of them are going to take what I am about to say as harsh, but I'm on my own time so I can say this.

Where did all the good workers go?

I feel at times that I am the only person left with any kind of work ethic. When I am given a task or duty to accomplish, I do. If there is a deadline, I meet it more then 99% of the time. The few times I didn't had me so angry that I could barely control myself, and usually happened because the deadline wasn't reasonable. IE "I need you to crunch the numbers and come up with a presentation on our inventory history for the last three years by noon." ( Yes, that actually happened, and they told me that at 10:30. It takes 3 hours to run the report for ONE year). When there is something that needs to be done, I do it. If it is something I can't do, I get someone to do it. But it gets done, even if I stay late and work for free to do it. (I'm salary, anything over 40 hours I don't get "paid" for)

My company gives everyone three goals for every task. Met, Good, Excellent (Not what they call them, but their terms are confusing). I have stated for years that there is only one goal for me, Excellent. Anything less if failure, and I abhor failure.

It is these traits in me that leads me to my wonder again, Where did all the good workers go?

Is there no one left like me in the work force? And if there are, where are they? I'm handing out assignments today and I had multiple people say, "You know this isn't getting done today, right?" or "I can't do this AND this other task." My favorite is, "This isn't part of my job". These statements usually come from the people that spend a lot of time goofing off, gossiping or just plain socializing. I know they have a lot on their plates and are being almost over tasked. Now I know that I give them a lot of work, and I do tell them that I don't expect them to get it ALL done, but they do need to get so much done during the day. However, they don't want to do any of it. At the end of the day I can walk around and see they have not touched a single item on their list. Sometimes I find the lists left untouched exactly were I left them the previous day.

Now some of these people are talking calls from customers all day long and feel they don't have the time to do it. Yet I have people that take the same if not more calls then the "too busy" one's do AND still get all their work and more done. Others just have multiple tasks that they have to do, and they still get it done. Also before I hear, "You don't know what it's like to do their job". Bull-Shite! (In Scottish Brouge) I spent the first 2.5 years of my life in this company doing their job. And honestly, it sucks and I'm glad I don't have to do it anymore. So I know what it's like, and I know what can be done. And I hate over time, I try to avoid it at all costs. I hate working it, and I hate forcing others to do it. But if it needs to be done, I'll mandate it. I know the loop-holes and how to get through them to get "Mandatory Overtime". So when I had to do their job, I made sure to get as much work done as possible so I didn't have to work over time.

What's really sad though is that it's not just within my place of employment I see these lazy attitudes. I see it when I'm doing re-enactments and Boy Scouts. There is work that needs to be done. Fire Wood gathered, getting water, cleaning up camp, doing the training, etc. And people want others to do it for them. It's aggravating, especially if I'm doing something that is supposed to be relaxing and I end up doing more work, while others stand around (even after saying something to them), so I can relax later.

I've decided there is going to be a change in how I handle these people. I'm not sure what that is going to be yet, but there is going to be a change.

So if anyone has any suggestions or ideas. I'm open to them. Now I have to keep everything at work all rose colored and happy or I get to go back to sensitivity training. (I'll explain that another day)