Being Bothered to do Something

During the course of my work, I have had the opportunities to talk with some Design Directors.  I once asked one of them what he looks for in a job interview.  He told me, amongst all the standard questioning, he watched out for the candidate’s body language, as well as whether he pushed his chair back in before leaving the room. 

He said, “A person who bothers to push the chair in, will likely be bothered to find things to do. A person who didn’t, will likely miss details in work.”

He did clarify that although there is no strong correlation between pushing in the chair and work style, he believes in his gut feeling for a person’s attitude, exhibited by how he spoke, and not what he spoke. It is not about the task, but about the attitude.  

His thinking mirrored mine. 

Examples of little things that we can be bothered do:

• Saying Thank You;
• Taking time to plan;
• Taking note of deadlines;
• Helping with house chores;
• Returning trays after eating at fast food restaurants or at food courts;
• Washing our hair regularly;
• Using less single-use plastics;
• Smile.

In general, a person who bothers, will find ways to improve things, or find problems to solve.  As a result, they tend to perform better at work and at home. On the other hand, a person who always waits to be told what to do, will usually be less productive, resulting in less satisfaction in life.