Years ago, most offices had a saying plastered somewhere on the walls. It could have been near the copier, near the coffee pot, or near the water cooler, where everyone supposedly hung out. (Funny, I never saw people gathering around any water coolers where I worked.)

These words were a motivating saying that appeared when the copy repairman arrived. When he repaired the copiers, the man needed something with words and graphics to test the copier, and he brought his own pages with him. He gave a copy of the motivational quote of the week or month to the receptionist or secretary before he left, and she usually made a few copies, one for the boss, who would eventually post it somewhere prominent, and one for each of his bosses. his closest companions. -workers. In all the offices where I worked, in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Texas, there were copies of this saying. It began, “If you work for a man, work for him…”

A long time ago, my last faded, wrinkled, yellowed copy of those words disappeared from my personal files. The gist of the message, of course, was how it started. If you work for a man, work for him. Give him -or your work- the attention he deserves, since he -or the company- is paying you to work.

Searching the Internet, I found two quotes similar to those that graced offices and break rooms of the past.

If you work for someone, work for him: Speak well of him and support the institution he represents. Remember, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of intelligence. If you have to snarl, condemn and find fault forever, give up his position and when you are out, complain to the bottom of your heart. But as long as you’re part of the institution, don’t condemn it.

~Elbert Hubbard

When you work for a man, work for him. Give him your dedication, honesty, sincerity and 100% of your skills. If you must condemn it, do it from the outside; resign and then damn him to high heaven if that is your wish. But while you are in his service, do not do or say anything negative about him or to him.

~James Ellis Dolan

The second version is more like the one we had in offices across the country.

Today, we need this quote or something similar posted in offices, in retail stores, and in fast food restaurants. We need words like these everywhere today, at least in the United States. Customer service and company loyalty are really poor.

It would be a good idea if we incorporated words like these into our educational system and shared them during new employee orientation and training. I wonder, though, if it would make a difference. These words may not be specific enough for today’s employees. We may need to explain what is and is not appropriate behavior for an employee.

When you work for a man, work for him. Give it the best of you. Don’t waste time checking personal emails, creating listings for personal singles websites, or shopping online at work. The working day belongs to the man or the company that pays you, and they pay you to do a job, not to do your personal business. Company phones, copiers, fax machines and computers are there for company business. If you must talk on the phone, try to do it at lunch or coffee break.

~Marilyn Mackenzie

I wonder if having words like these posted prominently would really make a difference. When customer service or loyalty issues arise in the workplace, employees nod their heads up and down in agreement. They agree that Joe, Charlie, and Susan really should do better. But they don’t seem to understand that the reprimand is for all employees.

On their days or nights off, they get quite annoyed at the beauty salon receptionist because she is on the phone with her boyfriend, not paying attention to the customers. They get mad at the convenience store clerk for using the phone for personal calls. They hate when the cashier and the bagger are in an argument and ignore the needs of the customers.

Then, when they return to their own jobs, they let the phone ring and ring, allowing calls to be transferred to their voice mail. They spend the first thirty minutes of the day checking their own personal emails. When your kids get home from school, instead of just taking a quick phone call, they spend thirty minutes talking.

At any time of the day, employees can be in the middle of important personal calls, with collection agencies, potential future employers, or with their children. But that’s different. It’s the other employees who have the problem of not working as hard or as fast or for as long as they should.

What happened to those dreaded efficiency experts? Do you remember them? If you visited today’s offices, stores, restaurants, and other businesses, would you find efficiency? Or would they find that the average employee today only works about five hours of the scheduled eight-hour shift? I think we all know the answer. Today’s employee has forgotten that when she works for a man, she must work for him.