Dangers of being good at your job

[Politically_Incorrect12]

The surprising danger of being good at your job

Science confirms what high performers have known for years: It's not easy being so competent.

A new study from Duke's Fuqua School of Business suggests that people with high self-control — the kind of people who remember birthdays, choose the salad instead of the fries, take on extra projects at work, and resolve conflicts easily — might actually pay a price for those virtues.

"People always talk about how having high self-control is a good thing," says researcher Christy Koval, a Ph.D. candidate and first author on the study, which was published in this month's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. And in many ways, it is a good thing: "Go-getters get what they go after," she points out. "They're better at goal pursuits. They make very good relationship partners."

They're also better-off financially than their less-disciplined peers; they tend to be in better health, and they generally have higher-quality personal relationships.

But all that comes at a cost: High-self-control people, the researchers found, end up burdened by their own competence.

For one thing, people will expect more of you — whether or not that's actually a valid expectation.

Read more at: finance.yahoo.com/news/surprising-danger-being-good-job-211212286.html

I think part of the problem is that many people think they are doing more work than other people.

[djAdvocate]

May 22, 2015 15:11:41 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

The surprising danger of being good at your job

Science confirms what high performers have known for years: It's not easy being so competent.

A new study from Duke's Fuqua School of Business suggests that people with high self-control — the kind of people who remember birthdays, choose the salad instead of the fries, take on extra projects at work, and resolve conflicts easily — might actually pay a price for those virtues.

"People always talk about how having high self-control is a good thing," says researcher Christy Koval, a Ph.D. candidate and first author on the study, which was published in this month's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. And in many ways, it is a good thing: "Go-getters get what they go after," she points out. "They're better at goal pursuits. They make very good relationship partners."

They're also better-off financially than their less-disciplined peers; they tend to be in better health, and they generally have higher-quality personal relationships.

But all that comes at a cost: High-self-control people, the researchers found, end up burdened by their own competence.

For one thing, people will expect more of you — whether or not that's actually a valid expectation.

Read more at: finance.yahoo.com/news/surprising-danger-being-good-job-211212286.html

I think part of the problem is that many people think they are doing more work than other people.

wait.  you don't think some people perform better than others?

[ArchietheDragon]

May 22, 2015 15:11:41 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

The surprising danger of being good at your job

Science confirms what high performers have known for years: It's not easy being so competent.

A new study from Duke's Fuqua School of Business suggests that people with high self-control — the kind of people who remember birthdays, choose the salad instead of the fries, take on extra projects at work, and resolve conflicts easily — might actually pay a price for those virtues.

"People always talk about how having high self-control is a good thing," says researcher Christy Koval, a Ph.D. candidate and first author on the study, which was published in this month's Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. And in many ways, it is a good thing: "Go-getters get what they go after," she points out. "They're better at goal pursuits. They make very good relationship partners."

They're also better-off financially than their less-disciplined peers; they tend to be in better health, and they generally have higher-quality personal relationships.

But all that comes at a cost: High-self-control people, the researchers found, end up burdened by their own competence.

For one thing, people will expect more of you — whether or not that's actually a valid expectation.

Read more at: finance.yahoo.com/news/surprising-danger-being-good-job-211212286.html

I think part of the problem is that many people think they are doing more work than other people.

This also just in....  The dangers of being being rich means you have to manage more money.

[Politically_Incorrect12]

May 22, 2015 15:30:56 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

May 22, 2015 15:11:41 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

Read more at: finance.yahoo.com/news/surprising-danger-being-good-job-211212286.html

I think part of the problem is that many people think they are doing more work than other people.

wait.  you don't think some people perform better than others?

I think that many people (if not most) have the perception that they are good at their jobs and do just as much work or more than most other people.

[Politically_Incorrect12]

May 22, 2015 15:39:41 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

May 22, 2015 15:11:41 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

Read more at: finance.yahoo.com/news/surprising-danger-being-good-job-211212286.html

I think part of the problem is that many people think they are doing more work than other people.

This also just in....  The dangers of being being rich means you have to manage more money.

LOL

[djAdvocate]

May 22, 2015 16:00:47 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

May 22, 2015 15:30:56 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

wait.  you don't think some people perform better than others?

I think that many people (if not most) have the perception that they are good at their jobs and do just as much work or more than most other people.

not what i asked.  i don't care what most people believe.  what do YOU believe?

[Politically_Incorrect12]

May 22, 2015 16:11:51 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

May 22, 2015 16:00:47 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

I think that many people (if not most) have the perception that they are good at their jobs and do just as much work or more than most other people.

not what i asked.  i don't care what most people believe.  what do YOU believe?

Yes, I think some people are better at their jobs than others....but not everybody can be me.

[mroped]

There are many people that are VERY good at their job, they excel at it. There are few that are good and then are those that think they are good. And last but not least(  ) the rest that just do a job because that's what fell on their lap at the time they were looking and they got used to it. Those are thinking mostly that why change the job? Pays the bills, the work is not hard and well, is better than nothing!

[Deleted]

The skills that you need to recognize that you are incompetent in your job are the same skills you need to recognize/be competent in your job. Dunning-Kruger Effect.

My last former boss was the worst about loading the strong performers up & offloading weak performers instead of replacing them. 2 of his 3 most competent left and the 3rd one keeps emailing me that it is getting worse. So sad, but part of why I believe that company will fail.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

I think a lot of hard-driving, unbalanced work-a-holics would be shocked to learn how lazy and unproductive they really are.  Are you really that great if you can't get the job done in less time, and still have a life? Not in my opinion.

I am an independent multi-line insurance claims adjuster, and a property inspector. I'm also a landlord, among a few other for-profit "hobbies".

I have been in the claims business PART TIME since 2009; and I make three to five times what the average person in the field makes. I am surrounded by people who supposedly can't find work.  Are you kidding me?  So far this year, I have personally (that means just me) handled 88 commercial property losses in Virginia; and another 53 in MA, NH, VT, and ME.  I turned down work in RI, DE, and MD.  I'm on standby to go to Texas only because I didn't want to go two weeks ago because I want to spend some time with the family.  I was gone six weeks total, home for five on a vacation at Disney World with my family that nobody knew I even left for because I simply planned my inspections around those days, and continued to submit reports (several I sandbagged for the occasion) during the time I was gone. Grossed over $80K during the period. I could take the rest of the year off- but I won't. This is a VERY good year to be a cat adjuster.  Best I've ever seen. Way more lucrative than Sandy.

Why do I do better? A lot of people get into cat adjusting starting with first party residential property claims and never 'graduate' to commercial, liability, and other specialty work. A lot of adjusters do not bother to obtain licenses in multiple states that would qualify them for additional work.  For example, I have a NY license.  It is perceived as 'extremely difficult' to get- but it's really just a week or two of concentrated study, some online practice exams, and a proctored exam (and $200 bucks of course because well, NY).  Now, I did not work in NY- but what I know that many do not is this: simply having the license which is perceived as so difficult to obtain moves me to the top of lists.  Additional training- my AIC, and my CPCU (which I have not yet completed, but am working on)- will make me even more in-demand.  I am also fearless- I never say no to any claim, or type of loss. I know no matter what they throw my way, if I don't know the answer, I can find it.  I also know the more complex the claim, the more likely it is that my main function will simply be coordinating with experts- engineers, CPAs, and/or attorneys.  The higher and more weird the roof is, the more likely I'll get a ladder assist and we'll just order an EagleView of the roof.

Not only that, but I've innovated a few tricks of my own. I have two assistants- one does all my first contacts, and scheduling (paying careful attention to the map so as to be efficient); and another writes up the estimates and the reports based on my scope notes.  The cost of all this fun is about 1% of the gross loss for the reports and $15 per file to contact and schedule inspections.  I literally show up, take pics, measurements, and go on to the next one.  As a result, I inspect an average of 9 losses per day while "seasoned" adjusters inspect 4 to 5. And mine are written within 24 hours generally- this greatly impresses people who review files-- and assign claims.

I have also built a fairly large network of adjusters, and when I put them to work- I get paid.  Sometimes the arrangements are formal- I'll recruit for someone; sometimes I just get a bottle of scotch.  

I am not even going to get into the property inspection biz I do in FL. I basically just market inspections through a website, and assign them out to inspectors as they come in. I keep an average of $18 per inspection and last year that business grossed over $100K.  I inspected a grand total of 60 properties myself all year- 40 of them were on the same day-- condo development needed wind mits for a bunch of their residents.

I said all that to say this:  I am shocked at how well I do and how little I actually work to make the money I make.  I have to be the laziest person I know- I simply must be.  However, I am not lazy of mind.  I'm a problem solver.  I enjoy doing the intellectual work of planning and working ON my career more than I enjoy working IN my career or the "job" aspects.  I have figured out that more licenses, and more certification and training mean more opportunity to pick and choose my assignments. It is no longer the luck of the draw.  Additionally, I've also built good relationships with IA and TPA firm owners-- but I'm also careful to take care of the file reviewers. Adjusters like to bitch about file reviewers- I like to buy them coffee (Starbucks gift cards) because odds are pretty good the file reviewers are the spouse of someone higher up the food chain in this business.  Producing a good work product is the easy part- but it doesn't necessarily get you remembered.  

That, and I think busy people are nutters.  I think people that work a lot of overtime are lazy; and don't have good priorities in general.

[djAdvocate]

that is a smart distribution of labor.  i need to relieve my main sales guy so he can do more selling.

[joemilitary]

I think the point of the OP is that 2 people doing the same relative job for the same relative pay ....the one that is a "good" worker will be given more work than the other one / more will be expected of them.

If that eventually translates to a promotion / pay raise than fine. But usually that is not the case......

[zibazinski]

Or you can be stuck and never promoted because you're too good at your job and your supervisor doesn't want to lose you

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

May 27, 2015 6:55:16 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Or you can be stuck and never promoted because you're too good at your job and your supervisor doesn't want to lose you

That's why I stay a contractor.  I have been offered $200K a year- but I'd have to work all year long. Pass.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

May 27, 2015 0:33:26 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

that is a smart distribution of labor.  i need to relieve my main sales guy so he can do more selling.

I'm actually pretty lousy at it.  It took me until February of THIS YEAR to implement this.