How You Use the First Hour of the Day May Determine if You Have a Job Tomorrow

Adopt a professional attitude at work and keep the boss happy

A large percentage of employees begin the workday in a state of groggy apathy. They muddle through the morning with a cup of coffee in one hand and their cell phone in the other, browsing social media sites, texting friends, and checking email.

And why not?

No one — not even the boss — expects everyone to hit the floor running

Supervisors know we all need some time to clear out the cobwebs and activate our business mindset before we tackle the next project — or take that first phone call from a surly and demanding customer.

Sounds reasonable. Right?

If you answered that question in the affirmative, your job could already be in jeopardy.

The idea of arriving at work completely detached from your professional responsibilities, unprepared to deliver your best at whatever you do is taking a huge risk with your career.

Employers have specific expectations

And while these may vary by industry or job function, the majority of managers want to see their subordinates walk through the door ready to produce, to add value, and to make a personal contribution.

The idea that the first hour of the workday can be used as a “readjustment” period to get mind and body ready to deal with the day’s activities is a symptom of entitlement. And just because the boss hasn’t spoken to you about the amount of time you’re wasting — or your halfhearted attitude toward your work — doesn’t mean she hasn’t noticed.

Unfortunately, the damage is cumulative

And the more she sees the apathetic behavior repeated, the more it influences her opinion about your professional maturity and future value to the company.

“But I need that hour,” you argue, “for the caffeine to kick in, to catch up on office gossip, and get an overview of what needs to be done.”

The hour you’re talking about belongs to your employer. And regardless of how you rationalize it, using it for personal pursuits is a statement of special privilege.

Treating your job responsibilities with a casual, laid-back approach is a learned behavior

You didn’t start your job that way, did you? You showed up on the first day of work ready to show your boss she made the right decision in hiring you. You did your best to impress her with your positive attitude and willingness to learn.

But over time, you settled in, and became comfortable with the normal work flow. You realized you could get away with taking that first hour for self-care, to take your time transitioning to a working mindset. In other words, you began to take your job — and the financial advantages it provides — for granted.

Because of your seniority or your past reputation as a star producer, you may have been granted some degree of discretion in the past. But today’s job market has been turned upside down. The pandemic has forced managers and supervisors to look for ways to maximize productivity. They need self-starters who are ready to take on more responsibility and go above and beyond their job classification to make sure the company remains profitable and financially viable in the current economic decline.

The following suggestions are based on activating a “professional mindset” as you transition into the work day. And while that may sound like clichéd rhetoric from a motivational poster, these specific activities — fortified with adjustments to your attitude — can help you create the impression of a focused professional, and someone who is ready to lead by example.

• Start your day an hour earlier. If you’re not a morning person and really need that first hour to bring your metabolism up to full speed, then arrive at work early. If you don’t have access to the office or work space before the actual start of the workday, spend the time at a coffee shop, a park, or in your car. Use the time to update your to-do list, review your short and long-term goals, or listen to podcasts. If you have a side-gig, use that hour to create new content, answer correspondence from customers, and update your marketing and advertising.
• Organize your work space. Put away everything you don’t need for your first task. Getting rid of the clutter and taking out the files, notes, and support materials you need puts your mind in a working mode, making it easier to transition to productive activity.
• Strategize how you plan to spend your day to maximize your productivity. Identify the three most important tasks you need to complete and how much time you’ll need to accomplish each one. Then arrange them in order of priority. As you complete each task, reward yourself with a snack, a coffee break, or a brief stretch break.
• If you must check email, scan the contents of your inbox and open only the items that are a high priority. This includes correspondence from customers, co-workers, supervisors, and other work-related sources. Avoid opening personal email at work. It looks unprofessional to anyone walking by, and yes, appearances count. And never be seen surfing Facebook, twitter, or other time-wasting social media platforms.
• Don’t allow low-priority tasks to reduce your professional mindset. A lot of day-to-day actions will not always be about bringing in the new mega-account or solving a major problem that results in immediate praise and recognition. There’s going to be a lot of time spent on routine functions. This can be anything from helping to inventory the copy paper and resolving billing errors, to placating a habitually demanding customer by feeding him a Grand Slam at Denny’s.

During these “maintenance” days, when you’re consumed with seemingly low priority tasks, there’s always the risk of reduced focus, of coasting through the process. You don’t deliver at 100 percent because there’s no need. You can get the job done with your brain working at a slow idle. In fact, you can take care of everything going on around you while listening to your favorite music in one ear and perusing over vacation options on your laptop — or so you think.

“Coasting” through the workday is similar to an actor who walks on stage and looks out across an auditorium that’s only ten percent occupied. Why should he bother to give the same level of performance he gave last week when the house was packed?

Because it’s who he is.

He doesn’t compromise his talent and skill just because there are fewer people to appreciate it. The people who did show up still expect to see his very best performance. If the actor slacks off or allows the lower level of energy to affect his delivery, he knows it will show. Just like he knows that while the audience may be small, if they’re impressed, they’ll tell others.

Yes, it’s an inviting temptation to settle in and ride it out, knowing you can easily handle whatever the day throws at you

You’ve got the experience, and you know the ropes. In fact, you’ve done it so many times, you could direct an assistant to do it while you work on the website for your side-gig, check Facebook, or watch YouTube.

If this situation sounds familiar, then consider this a wake-up call. You may believe your continued handling of the day-to-day business is sufficient to justify your value and continued employment, but your boss may be wondering how to motivate you, or even worse, she may be wondering if it’s too late to reignite the fire.

The Take-Away

Adopting a professional attitude and mindset is part of being recognized as a valuable contributor. And in the eyes of management, demonstrating those qualities consistently is the hallmark of a great employee, someone who is responsible, dedicated, and promotable — the very attributes you want to convey to those who can do the most for your career.

© 2020 Roger A. Reid. All Rights Reserved.

Listen to the Podcast of this article at Success Point 360

Roger A. Reid is the author of Better Mondays: The New Rules for Creating Financial Success and Personal Freedom (While Working for the Man)

Roger A. Reid, Ph.D. is the host of Success Point 360 Podcast and author of Better Mondays and Speak Up. A certified NLP trainer with degrees in engineering and business, Roger offers tips and strategies for achieving higher levels of career success and personal fulfillment in the real world.