Work ethic

Reader question:

Please explain “work ethic”, as in: “Dan is admired by his coworkers for his strong work ethic.”

My comments:

They admire Dan because he always works hard.

Not only that. They don’t just admire him for being ready to break a sweat and get a job done, but also for how his whole attitude towards work, how he approaches his job, how devoted and dedicated he is towards his profession in general.

Ethic, as in ethics, refers to one’s general idea or belief in how to look at things.

You’ve heard of people talking about professional ethics, I’m sure. Those are the moral rules and principles regarding what conducts are right, or wrong, professionally. In professional journalisms, for example, it is considered ethical to remain impartial, fair and objective when you cover a controversial event. In other words, you don’t take sides but let the facts speak for themselves, giving both sides involved in a dispute an equal opportunity to speak.

More or less equal, that is. As much as you can manage.

It is obviously unethical, for example, for you to accept an envelop containing a sum of money from an interviewee, whoever they are and for whatever good excuse. If you accepted the envelope, you may feel, among other things, obliged to write only good things about them.

I’m putting it mildly, of course. You may feel dirty and want to kill yourself later, etc., but you get the point. Just don’t do anything like that. Don’t let your professional integrity be compromised.

And integrity is what ethics is all about.

Back to Dan. In our example, Dan having a strong work ethic means that not only does he work hard, but he treats his profession as a whole in a strong, devoted and, well, professional manner.

He, for example, comes to work early if he needs to and leave late when there is unfinished work. And he does this willingly, without fuss or grudge.

He is reliable – for one thing he never comes in late.

He is also ready to lend you a hand when you ask him for help.

In short, he’s productive, friendly, co-operative and generally a joy to work with.

That’s why co-workers admire him.

They might admire him for other good reasons professionally too, but you get the picture – of someone with a strong work ethic.

Alright, here are more media examples of people who have a good, or not so good work ethic:

1. Tracy McGrady said he has no hard feelings toward a former coach who on Friday said McGrady fell short of his potential because of a questionable work ethic.

Jeff Van Gundy, who coached McGrady when both were with the Houston Rockets, made the comments Friday during the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston.

“It doesn’t even matter,” McGrady said Saturday following practice. “I don’t take it as an insult or a jab at me at all. That’s how I receive it.”

The comments came during a panel discussion on the theory that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve greatness.

“Tracy McGrady was 1,000 hours of practice,” Van Gundy said. “He should be a Hall-of-Fame player. His talent was other-worldly. He was given a leg up in the race against other players.”

McGrady was not upset with Van Gundy. In fact, he had kind words for his former coach.

“Jeff by far is my best coach — I’ve always said that,” McGrady said. “I’ve told him that, and I talk to him to this day. For what Jeff says, being as talented as I was and is, for him to say that I didn’t reach my full potential because of practice habits? If that’s what he saw … I don’t have anything negative to say about that. That’s his personal opinion.”

Van Gundy called McGrady the “most gifted player I’ve ever had on a roster.”

“I like a lot of things about Tracy McGrady,” he said. “I just wish I could have changed his practice habits and his mentality.”

- Tracy McGrady has no hard feelings after former coach Jeff Van Gundy questions his work ethic, MLive.com, March 5, 2011.

2. A strong work ethic is vital to a company achieving its goals. Every employee, from the CEO to entry-level workers, must have a good work ethic to keep the company functioning at its peak. A work ethic is a set of moral principals an employee uses in his job. Certain factors come together to create a strong work ethic.

Integrity

Integrity stretches to all aspects of an employee's job. An employee with integrity fosters trusting relationships with clients, coworkers and supervisors. Coworkers value the employee's ability to give honest feedback. Clients trust the employee's advice. Supervisors rely on the employee's high moral standards, trusting him not to steal from the company or create problems.

Sense of Responsibility

A strong sense of responsibility affects how an employee works and the amount of work she does. When the employee feels personally responsible for her job performance, she shows up on time, puts in her best effort and completes projects to the best of her ability.

Emphasis on Quality Some employees do only the bare minimum, just enough to keep their job intact. Employees with a strong work ethic care about the quality of their work. They do their best to produce great work, not merely churn out what is needed. The employee's commitment to quality improves the company's overall quality.

Discipline It takes a certain level of commitment to finish your tasks every day. An employee with good discipline stays focused on his goals and is determined to complete his assignments. These employees show a high level of dedication to the company, always ensuring they do their part.

Sense of Teamwork Most employees have to work together to meet a company's objectives. An employee with a high sense of teamwork helps a team meet its goals and deliver quality work. These employees respect their peers and help where they can, making collaborations go smoother.

- 5 Factors That Demonstrate a Strong Work Ethic, FutureOfEducation.com, June 7, 2014.

3. Ever since Phil Jackson assumed control of the New York Knicks front office this past March, one question above all has dogged Carmelo Anthony: How would his triangle stint stack up against those of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant?

Anthony will never be considered in the same class as the other two, of course. The implication has long been that, in the pantheon of Jackson cornerstones, the order is as follows: Jordan, Bryant and...an enormous drop-off.

But, according to Jackson, Kobe has MJ beat in at least one important respect: dedication to training.

Asked by the New York Post’s Steve Serby whether Anthony might live up to the triangle precedents set by his Hall of Fame brethren, Jackson responded thusly:

No. No one can approach that. I don’t expect anybody to be able to model their behavior after that, although Kobe modeled his behavior a lot about Michael Jordan, but he went beyond Michael in his attitude towards training, and I know Mike would probably question me saying that, but he did.

Whoa, Nelly.

Now, to be fair, Richard Simmons has a really, really good training regimen. That doesn’t mean Richard Simmons is any good at basketball.

Ergo, just because Kobe Bryant had the better off-court or offseason work ethic doesn’t necessarily make him better than His Airness—even if Jordan spent two years of his life playing baseball, which, as we all know, falls right between Halo 2 and bowling on the exercise-strenuousness scale.

- Phil Jackson: Kobe Bryant's Attitude Towards Training Surpassed Michael Jordan's, BleacherReport.com, September 24, 2014.

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About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

（作者张欣 中国日报网英语点津 编辑：陈丹妮）