Work ethic

[common sense]

Remember the good old days when we were raised on good morals and work ethic and a hand shake was a person's oath of honesty?  Remember when you could rely on people to do what was expected of them?  I am constantly stunned at how much of the youth of today have a complete lack of work ethic.  I guess I can understand it in the cities but I have to say that I thought that good work ethic was still strong down on the farm.  I am sorry.  I digress but I am incredibly frustrated with much of the youth that I thought were reliable and hard-working.

My husband and I tried to raise our children to understand the value of the dollar and that having a keen work ethic will get you ahead in our world.  It seems like so many kids have the attitude that we as employers owe them something...besides a paycheck.  I hear the kids complain about how impossible it is to find jobs but I think that the real issue is that they can't find a job that will let them come and go as they please and take a day off for vacation whenever they need one.  They just aren't willing to work. 

I have several employment opportunities available working with and around our livestock herd.  The job requires a lot of work but I NEVER ask anyone to do anything that I am not willing to do and that I don't do myself on a regular basis, not to denegrate my abilities as a woman.  The problem is that nobody is willing to work or they just aren't reliable or trustworthy enough to keep around.  When I was a kid I would have given my right arm to work on a cattle farm for the summer and loved the opportunity to work on sale or show cattle all day.  Now it's impossible to find kids with that desire and drive.  What does that say about our future?  It makes me very nervous.

I have to laugh at the difference.  As I am sitting here I just noticed a truck going down my driveway towards the highway.  It is a person that is supposed to start working next week.  I lost our signal during our phone conversation and his phone isn't working so he apparently hopped into his truck to stop and see what I wanted...drove 12 miles.  I missed him and hopefully he will stop back but that's the kind of person that I would like to find MORE of!!!  He isn't a kid and obviously knows what good work ethic is all about.

 

[SWMO]

Good work ethics don't seem to exist in most people under the age of 30 anymore.  They all want everything without giving anything.  I struggle with this daily in my business.  I hope that as this particular generation matures that they will find that they have to give an honest days work in order to get the respect and pay that they feel they deserve.

 

[frostback]

I would think that in your neck of the woods that finding help for a sale like yours would not be a problem. When I was young I loved working on good cattle. I worked on some questionable facilities just to have the experience. I guess no one likes the common work anymore and all want to work doing the glamours jobs.
We supple small square bales of hay to a feed store and they have new people there all the times because no one wants to do physical labor anymore. I love moving the bales as it keeps me in shape. Who needs a gym membership when you live on a farm.

 

[red]

Ohio has sent many kids west just to learn. I hope you can find someome good. Also check out Technical Colleges w/ ag program. They usually have to take a 6 month intership.

Red

 

[kanshow]

  It seems like the ones with the good work ethic are few and far between.    If you find one, you do what you can to hang on to them.  There are so many that just come and go.    We hire our summer help thru a local college - but the last two years, we've struck out - our neighbor does the same and from a recent conversation, sounds like they haven't done any better with getting good help.   

Last summer one of our grain trucks blew an engine - Found out several weeks later that kid driving it at the time was BRAGGING to someone earlier in the season about how hard he would push the truck for speed & load & whatever else his pea sized hotrod brain was thinking.    He had the nerve to ask for a raise -  uh yea right.      Another kid thought he could show up on Tuesday & work til Friday around noon.  Gotta have the weekend for the party.        Then a couple weeks ago, Engine boy dropped by the other farm for a 'visit' and later in the day hubby caught him driving around behind the buildings where the gas barrels are... hmmm...     

 

[red]

we have a terrible time getting people to drive silage trucks. Had one that lasted one day because he couldn't back & ran into the bagger.

I've always said I am so blessed w/ our nephews. They come & help when we need them & are a real workers at shows.

Red

 

[chambero]

I get to interview lots of young college graduates from science fields as part of my job.  It is shocking.  The number one way for a kid to get hired by me is to have a high " **** shoveling factor" - sorry but that's my official term with my bosses.  I want a kid that knows what real work is.  And very, very few of them have it.

The problem isn't the kids but the parents.  We just flat do way too much for them now and protect them too much.  So they literally don't know how to work.  We try to find summer help to help us spray mesquite trees and other jobs and you can't find it - even paying $10-$12 an hour.  They'd rather work at a fast food joint for half that just because it isn't as hot.

There is every possibility that young people in "trades" will earn more money in the relatively near future than college-educated kids at desk jobs because there are so few people pursuing skilled jobs as welders, carpenters, etc.

I hope my kids don't turn out that way.

 

[kanshow]

Chambero, you are right.. it is the parents and I too hope my kids don't turn out that way.   

Red, you are lucky because our nephews have been among our WORST help.  They have the attitude that we'll hire & pay them no matter what.  They expect to be given extra perks, etc. 

 

[sawboss]

We have pampered our children, myself included until this summer.  Both of my sons attend summer football off-season workouts from 8-10 am Monday-Thursday and then spend the afternoon picking and loading watermelons for market.  My oldest has informed me he is anxious for football season to start and go to 2-a-days in the Texas heat.  Why I asked with a grin.  His reply "It can't me any worse than picking and loading 1000 watermelons per day".  I must admit he is better help than the day help we hire, at least he can operate the machinery and grade the melons that are ready to harvest.  We had a hand tell us in the field the other day to take him back to town he was quitting.  We said hit the road, "But it is 10 miles back", he exclaimed!  Walk or go to work we will leave when the trailer is full, was my reply.  He chose to walk and not get paid instead of finishing the job.  By the way we passed him on the way into town, he had walked three miles and sat down to hitch a ride.  He could not even finish that task.  For all of you thinking how heartless we are for passing him by, my partner picked his lazy tail up and delivered him home.  Be patient with your own children and don't run them away from farm work, we (they) are a dying breed.

 

[red]

our daughter used to hide in the cornfield when she tried to get out of work. she'd see some of these kids that just showed up to take the halter from the hired help at shows & thought she fell into that category too. She quickly learned that was not an option!

Red

 

[GRsimm]

It is very hard to find youth today that want to work. When I was in high school which was only 5 years ago we could always get a group of guys and gals together to pick up square bales and this year I had to have back surgery from getting run over by a few tomany cows and were in the middle of hay season and cant find hardly anyone to help toss bales. Also my sister sold her cows to pay for college and now my mother helps babysit her kids while she works and the grandkids absolutly love the farm. My oldest nephew is in his first year of 4-H and is really excited about getting to take care of his animals for the fair. He asked me the other day why his friends dont like to do this and I told him its prolly because they have never been around a hard working farm. He told me they dont know what there missing out on and that made this Uncle really proud so hopefully well have some younger generations to help keep things going. 
<hero>

 

[maineshowgirl_ok]

When I was in school I had 2 show horses and 4  show calves. I was taught that if I wanted to be the best then you had to work for it it was not just handed to you.  In the long run I had 2 top ten horses at the Appaloosa Youth Worlds. I am glad that I came from a hard working family and that they taught me those values. Anytime there is overtime to be worked at my job now I am the first one to pitch in and help and I'm only 23. It does not bother me  it just means that I have more money to spend on cattle.

 

[farmgirl760]

I agree with everyone on this topic. I am really tired of going to shows and seeing kids who just show up right before show time and get handed there animal as they walk in the ring and then hand it right back as soon as they are done. When I am at a show I am the one who takes care of my animals and does all the work. I feel 100% better knowing that when I walk into the ring and if I win that I did the work and that it is because I worked hard!  I do admit that sometimes I get mad when the other kids who didnt do anything win but I know that I did my best and that I did it myself. My sister and mother have been a great help along the way with my mom going with me and cheering me on and my sister helping me clip calves. If I dont know how to do something (like clip) i ask but i do as much as i can. Just this past week we were at the San Diego County Fair for our breed week. My sister and I took 2 cow calf pairs and a heifer. We arrived on monday and left on saturday evening. Every morning I would be up cleaning stalls and watering and feeding the animals.  Even though we didnt win the judges comments were what was important. Afterwards i asked the judge for his opinion on my heifer calf and he said that she was really nice. I know that i have worked hard to get her looking good and spent a lot of time and $$.

I wish that I had the opportunity to work on a ranch and get the experience that I need because someday I would love to have my own ranch and raise cattle. But for now I am happy getting to work on my families small ranch and know that when I take an animal somewhere I can be proud of the work that I have put into it!!  <cowboy>

 

[angusboy1]

im not trying to brag but i can say im one of the many few youth who knows what a good work ethic is. but both my parents were raised on farms raised to say no mam and yes mam and no sir and yes sir i remeber. when i was five my mom could me and i said what boy i prayed to god if i ever done it agian she wouldnt tell my dad  if i ever done it again. my dad got me a job when i was 13 on a cattle from for one of his buddy and he worked me like a grown man them i had to go home and work.so i got to see what i was liek what my dad does he works all day then comes home and works at our house so i showed my dad alot more respect for that and any adult

 

[GONEWEST]

Although it has gotten worse in the last generation, I would say this has been coming for a long, long, time. When I was in the 8th grade (I'm 48) , I saw a beautiful red and white steer at our state show unlike any other I had seen before.  There must have been 5 people working on that calf and mom was brushing the little girls hair as she sat on a hay bale. I asked,  What breed is that steer,
he's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." she answered, "It's a Maine-Anjou. Daddy had it flown here from Iowa." Now it's certainly not uncommon for cattle from Iowa to be shown in Georgia, and they don't have to fly to get here, but back then it was a big deal. And I had never heard of a Maine-Anjou. A little  later when the "pit crew" finished the calf, she led it into the ring and then walked out with a trophy as large as she was.

I am not against having professionals help fit calves at shows. As an adult, in my business, when I know someone can do something better than me and it gives me a competitive edge, I hire them to do there specialty. However, the stall cleaning, washing, feeding, all of that must be done by the kid or what is the use of the project?? I'm not against a parent feeding a steer in the afternoon because a child has athletic  or band practice until dark.  But we have killed our country by expressing our love for our children in poor ways. Rural families might do this by doing everything for a child, other families might parent by being their child's "best buddy." But either way kids have a sense that they are entitled to what ever their wants are. The parents have taught them this.

Chambero had an excellent point about college. College educations are a dime a dozen. And I am going to make this statement as I look at several pieces of paper on the wall that declare that I am "educated." Unless a kid goes to college with the idea of getting an advanced degree, in one of a very few fields, they are so much better off to learn a "trade" (that word sounds second rate to me, but it's not), and do something that others aren't willing to do as far as having the ability to earn a better living goes. Obviously there are more rewards to a person that goes to college than just the diploma, but the time is here that if your training is in something that actually accomplishes something, you're way ahead.

 

[farmboy]

i would be happy to come work for any of you 'uns 

to me the power of the dollar is worth it  O0

 

[txshowlamb]

I can honestly agree with all of you as I' am only beggining high school and very blessed to be able to raise a steer my first year in high school. This just come to show hard work does pay off I raised a lamb and two pigs and did so well taking care of them I was accepted to raise a steer. With any project come responsiblity and HARD WORK. I' am the one thats out there working that steer brushing him and bathing him and everything, yes my parents help me and I appreciate that but theres a diifference between helping and DOING it for them. I can say the only time I had not fed my steer was when I went to a pig show a couple weeks back and we left at 2am. Which well to early to feed the calf. When you see a kid out there working hard breaking a sweat in the heat or shivering in the cold that just tells you that they are dedicated especially if there are no complaints. When their out there cleaning pens no matter you situation. I from experience when I was sick I refused to allow my parents to go feed for me I still was out there cleaning and working that animal. THIS IS DEDICATION!!!! Dedication is when the child does the work and pays for the project, the feed, the entry fees and anything else NOT THE PARENT!!!! I see parents all of the time doing everything for the kids, HECK they mine as well show it too. Now like i said I dont see a problem parents showing the kids the proper way to do something or even helping them by raking out the pen every now and then. I know on occasion when I' am bathing the calf sometime my parents will start on cleaning the pen to just help speed up the time. Its really hard to see a kid be DEDICATED without there parents doing all for them. My parents refuse to do everything for me so in other words they refuse to raise or pay for my projects. I know when I' am low on funds they help me out but they s7ure have me do work for it. DEDICATION ask yourself AM I DEDICATED????

 

[Show Heifer]

Someone hit it on the head when they said it was a "parent problem". Did my parents scrub my calves? NO. If I didn't get the shit balls off, then they were shown with shit balls.
Did my parents feed and water my calves/lambs? NO. If I didn't feed them, they went hungry and if I didn't care for them they were sold without my consent.
Did my parents buy my first car? NO. That is what my job was for which I worked summers and weekends.
Did my parents buy my show animals? NO. That is also what my job was for.
Did my parents train my animals? NO. They were MY animals, MY responsibility.
I baled hay when it was hot. I sorted cows in the rain. I got up at 4 in the morning to work sheep because it was too hot by 7.

Did my parents HELP me? Yep. If I needed help, they would be right there BESIDE ME, not in front of me. They let me fight my own battles (no calling other parents, kids, school boards, etc), and they let me pick my friends (that is not to say they didn't have opinions). 

I guess that is why I have been selling seedstock since I was 12 and answering the questions from prospective buyers. I made the selling price decisions, not my parents.  I guess that is why when I was stranded in Europe by myself, I managed.

I was taught to stand by myself, for myself.  And for that I am grateful for my parents.

All that being said, when I hire someone, I make it VERY PLAIN what I will tolerate and what I will not. And there is no GREY AREA. NONE. My farm, my rules. PERIOD.  I have told a few to leave. I have told a few I would kill them if I had the energy to do so. I have told a few to not let the door hit their butt on the way out. 

As far as businesses go....screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me.  Very few, and I mean VERY FEW business actually do what they say they are going to do. Some will just flat lie to you. Some will just ignore you, and some will just keep putting you off. And that is fine. But do NOT expect my business again. EVER. Nor will I recommend your business.

All of that makes me grateful for who I am, who I hire ( I have found several that are loyal and I am loyal back), and where I am located (plenty of opportunity, plenty of space, plenty of good people).

Kids today have no parents. No one to really disipline them and make them have consequences for their actions. That would be too hard for the parents, their kids wouldn't "love them" anymore. Boo hoo hoo. Whatever. But when kids have kids, what do you expect....I have class mates that were GRANDPARENTS at age 35. You do the math.

Maybe a manditory military service would be a good thing....

Ok, I'm off my soap box.

 

[boomer]

DITTO.....and I stand with you on your soap box (clapping)

 

[farmgirl760]

Show Heifer-- I agree with you all the way!!! I will join you on your soap box