AMiable Solution #145: Dad’s Work Ethic

Mom knows best, but Dad’s no dummy, either. Last week we talked about Mom’s core values and how they taught us to be good people (and subsequently good business people), but now it’s time to give Dad his dues. After all, he taught us how to be good workers. Here’s what Dad showed us:


• Be present. Dad would have never let you get away with simply going to school. He wanted you to be involved. To engage. To invest yourself in your work. Dad did, and he was rewarded at the office because of it. You can’t feel pride or demonstrate your own value unless you actively participate in what you’re doing.



• Be responsible. If you make a mistake, own up to it. You had to do it when you were a kid, even when you knew the consequences could be painful. But Dad taught you the only way to learn from your mistakes was to admit you made them and then work to make them right.



• Respect authority. Dad didn’t always like his boss, but he didn’t let it show. He worked just as hard and gave his supervisor the respect due to the position. His efforts paid off: the supervisor moved on, and Dad didn’t burn any bridges or earn himself a negative reputation.

As kids, many of us feared that we would become our parents. Turns out, that’s not so bad. Thanks, Dad.