One of my...

[Larry Gude]

...guys just asked for a raise.

My rote response is 'why do you deserve a raise?'

He said "Well, my truck payment is getting to me and..."


I stopped him in his tracks and sat him down and explained that how this works is that you EARN money based on what you do and know, not based on what you spent and what you owe.

He's young and dumb but a good kid who has been 100% reliable and doing a great job for the last couple months and I told him I'd think about it.
He left duly chastened and we had a little laugh about his methods.


Then, I started reflecting on how kids get these ideas. Kids.


Then I started reflecting on the 'stimulus' package.

 

[whome20603]

haha, that's funny...he'll learn

 

[vraiblonde]

He said "Well, my truck payment is getting to me and..."

Is this the same kid that told you he's start showing up on time if you gave him a raise, or someone else?

 

[Larry Gude]

It's...

Is this the same kid that told you he's start showing up on time if you gave him a raise, or someone else?

...Eric.

 

[vraiblonde]

...Eric.

Wasn't it him that you had the "talk" with last time he asked for a raise?

 

[jetmonkey]

'why do you deserve a raise?'

We'd skip a years on the hangar deck without a raise once in a while. Whenever the guys started #####ing about it that was the first thing I went to, "what did you do to deserve a raise this year?" I could rattle off a whole list of #### they did that would merit a firing!

 

[Toxick]

Then I started reflecting on the 'stimulus' package.

You mean, as in how the money for the stimulus package is going to be "given" to us - as opposed to our earning it?











Surely you can't mean that.

 

[Wickedwrench]

I stopped him in his tracks and sat him down and explained that how this works is that you EARN money based on what you do and know, not based on what you spent and what you owe.

Another case of someone not being taught to live within their means? Oh the horror.

 

[crabcake]

Share this with him

YW

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!


Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation , try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

 

[toppick08]

Another case of someone not being taught to live within their means? Oh the horror.

 

[Rael]

...guys just asked for a raise.

My rote response is 'why do you deserve a raise?'

He said "Well, my truck payment is getting to me and..."


I stopped him in his tracks and sat him down and explained that how this works is that you EARN money based on what you do and know, not based on what you spent and what you owe.

He's young and dumb but a good kid who has been 100% reliable and doing a great job for the last couple months and I told him I'd think about it.
He left duly chastened and we had a little laugh about his methods.


Then, I started reflecting on how kids get these ideas. Kids.


Then I started reflecting on the 'stimulus' package.

I suspect you get a fairly high rate of turnover when you're dealing with young workers. Totally agree with you on his explanation being inadequate for justification. What kind of raise was he looking for? From $8.00 to $10.00/hr, or just some undetermined amount more, probably not knowing how much more he wanted or needed? (rhetorical)

If he made $8.00 an hour, would it be worth telling him he would be worth say $12.00 an hour or some other value if he did (or learned and could demonstrate knowledge of) this, this, and this? Do you think that would serve to motivate, or are you just dealing with someone who will eventually leave and be of no future value to your business? (Ergo the turnover thing). Curious, that's all.

 

[Larry Gude]

He's...

I suspect you get a fairly high rate of turnover when you're dealing with young workers. Totally agree with you on his explanation being inadequate for justification. What kind of raise was he looking for? From $8.00 to $10.00/hr, or just some undetermined amount more, probably not knowing how much more he wanted or needed? (rhetorical)

If he made $8.00 an hour, would it be worth telling him he would be worth say $12.00 an hour or some other value if he did (or learned and could demonstrate knowledge of) this, this, and this? Do you think that would serve to motivate, or are you just dealing with someone who will eventually leave and be of no future value to your business? (Ergo the turnover thing). Curious, that's all.

...a neighbor kid who has been around for years. It's my job to teach him what I can and 'grow' him up some.

He's a good kid, but his rationalization became stunted somewhere around 'quiting highs school is a good idea' two years ago.

Turnover is probably 2 a year, give or take.

FWIW, he wanted a raise from $10. He was making $8 last spring with $2 an hour more his for the taking after 30 straight days of being here and on time every work day. Be late; the 30 starts over. Miss a day, start over. It took 3 months before he earned that one.

 

[Rael]

.
FWIW, he wanted a raise from $10. He was making $8 last spring with $2 an hour more his for the taking after 30 straight days of being here and on time every work day. Be late; the 30 starts over. Miss a day, start over. It took 3 months before he earned that one.

Good rule, I say (I have a son who is now 18, so I understand).