The Inclusive Organization

8Employee Resource Strategy Groups

Let's kick this chapter off with a bit of self‐reflection. I want you to ask yourself, do you currently like your job? I hope that your answer is yes! Now for those of you who answered yes, let me ask another question, do you currently love your job? If you are lucky enough to answer yes once again, let me pose a third question. Do you love your job enough that you would do it for absolutely no money?

(This is where I'd expect to hear crickets if we were doing this in person.) Well, if you are one of the infinitesimally few people on this planet who would be able to work a full‐time job with zero pay, then I'd love to take you out for a drink and pick your brain on how you are able to accomplish such an astounding feat. But for most of us, even if you loved your work with all your heart, it would be hugely challenging to work full‐time for free. My hope for you is that you at least like your job. But whether you detest your job, like it, or love it, there is the same underlying theme: that we work so that we can provide for ourselves. Simply put, people work because they want to get paid. Despite it being the status quo for over two centuries in our country, people should never, ever be expected or forced to work for free. That also extends to situations in which individuals take on additional responsibilities outside of their formal role, and especially when these responsibilities are providing immense benefit to the organization.

We've already ...