When Nothing Is Beneath Us

Yesterday, I spent about 10 hours at a client’s office working on a big project they contracted me to do. It’s fascinating work and it allows me to use a lot of the skills I developed during my prior career. The work challenges me, pushes me to get creative, and puts me in positions where I need to fight through roadblocks and frustrations. Overall, it’s been tremendously rewarding and I’ve learned a ton.

All that said, there was a two-hour stretch where the work was anything but satisfying. It was borderline the most monotonous work imaginable. In some regards, I wouldn’t wish that work on my worst enemy. It was mentally taxing, repetitive, and quite tedious. One little mistake would have massive ramifications, while at the same time, it felt like watching paint dry. All the while, however, all I could think about is something my dad taught me when I was a teenager. No work is beneath us. It doesn’t matter how “important” we become or how many layers get added between us and the bottom, nothing is beneath us.

Now of course many people would disagree with this approach……and it shows. When work is beneath us and we look down on it (and possibly those doing it), we create or perpetuate a toxic culture. The opposite is true, as well. When leaders are actively engaging in work that’s theoretically beneath them, it changes the dynamic of a team and an organization. It takes us from “Do as I say, not what I do” to “Follow my example.” I was blessed to have several co-workers and leaders in my past career who also modeled this the right way. The more I think about it, the more grateful I am for them.

So yeah, those two hours royally sucked! But there was something special about it, too. Doing the hard work, grinding through something difficult, knowing I’m doing the right thing for the right reasons. I hope I don’t have to spend too much time doing tasks like that, but I’ll do whatever is needed to achieve the goal. It’s a constant reminder that nothing is truly beneath us.