Work Ethic - Ben Franklin

Blast From The Past – Work Ethic: Ben Franklin Style

      Ben Franklin is known for his work leading up to the Declaration of Independence, his scientific interest in electricity and his financial acumen with his Poor Richards Almanac. He was truly a Renaissance Man. What can we learn from his guiding principles?

     "Energy and Persistence Conquer all." Stick to your plan and work until you complete it. This is rarely seen today with the perceived need to show results quickly. With weekly/ monthly / quarterly results used as measuring tools, many plans requiring long term planning and financial commitments needed to be in place for years are constantly modified. I have seen this frequently while managing shipbuilding programs. We have the Energy part down. It's the Persistence part with the constant modifying of the plan that needs work.

     "Well done is better than well said." Can't say enough about this one. In our current society, for many of us it seems like people are getting ahead by talking a good story but not actually doing the job. In the political and entertainment arena this seems to be more prevalent. Electing people because they are likable shouldn't replace voting for people that have a proven track record. I don"t know about you, but I want someone who has "Been there, Done that." Fortunately in the engineering, scientific and medical fields this fame for fame's sake is not true.

     "Diligence is the mother of good luck." Almost all of us who have been successful recognize that this is true. We've seen many folks punching the clock. Those end up being the people that miss out on promotions and end up complaining they are being treated unfairly. The American work ethic has always been to go above and beyond. Our record of innovation and accomplishment is unsurpassed. We must continue to pass this on to the next generation.
   
     "When you're finished changing, you're finished." Most of the successful people I know have re-invented themselves several times. I've gone from being a ship driver to a meteorologist to a Project Manager in the Electrical business to a Program Manager building ships. While this is not uncommon for someone with 35 years of work experience, it is what you have to do to stay relevant. Many of the following generation are finding this re-invention as a way to get ahead. One of my children has changed jobs 3 times and the other 4 times. Each move either brought them closer to what they wanted to do or a pay raise. This is what I see as the way ahead for the our generation.

     Ben had many applicable quotes. He is a great example of what we should ascribe to. I know this is a little different than my usual entry, but sometimes I want to hit other areas of interest.