Shayne Jones Author

I graduated from High School in 1988. Ronald Reagan was President, and the Soviet Union was falling.   Many in this class will not understand these times. Some will! My first job was in the U.S. Army in Berlin Germany.   At the time, Berlin was a divided city and separated by ideology and mistrust.   But the job I had was to ensure that those on the other side of the wall did not cross the border undetected.   It may sound like a great job, but it was so dull!  I was satisfied because there was a reason for doing the job.   Guard duty was a job with a clearly defined set of principles and instructions with the potential to impact the lives of thousands of people on both sides of Berlin. The importance of the job was high in the minds of everyone involved.   The leaders trusted the soldiers and diversity in the unit was at a very high level.   Many soldiers came from different part of the United States and held beliefs that differed from other members and it allowed for the open and honest communication of ideas. From the job, I was able to understand that diversity from a leader establishes success and a feeling of usefulness that allows people to want to be there and perform a job that may be dull but is essential. I have used it in many positions over the last 30 years, and It has proven to work.

My dissatisfied job was a job I held briefly after retiring from the Army.   The idea was to provide a service to clients who needed assistance from government programs and allow them to prosper on their own.   It did not work out that way! The bureaucratic methods in place did not allow for diversity, ingenuity, or even a desire to help. Instead, the job relied on the throughput of cases.   Cases closed either satisfactorily or just closed.   It did not matter. The boss was in business to protect their position and no one else.   Many merited cases should have been handled quickly and efficiently were closed.   As long as the public relations people were on the job it did not matter if laws were ignored or bent. Only those people with a desire for a paycheck and no other prospects for employment remain.   Having a purpose for the job I am doing is important to me. Knowing that a difference is essential and knowing that the people who are leading me trust that I will do my best is the reason for remaining and working hard on whatever project I assigned.