I walked into the store, approached the young lady at the counter and asked: “Do you have battery chargers for Erickson cell phones please?”

She said, “No,” and continued arranging the necklaces on a portable rack, without even looking up at me. I thought: okay, fine—as I turned around and walked back toward the door. Suddenly my path was cut off by a fast moving young man. He said in a stilted accent: “Caan I heelp you? Wha’ ar’ you lookin’ for?”

I barely got done saying “Erickson,” when he darted off to a corner of the store and started rummaging through a set of drawers by the wall. I couldn’t resist. I turned to the young lady and said, “Do you see that?”

“What?” She nonchalantly asked.

“Do you see how that man is trying to help me? You wouldn’t even look at me.” I assured her that with that attitude she was very likely to lose the job. She said that there really were no chargers of the type I was seeking, but I continued. “Even if he doesn’t find what I need, he makes me feel better; like somebody cares about me, the customer. Based on his response, I would be happy to come back to the store.”

Now, I could have left her alone and treated her attitude as something unusual. But I had encountered this kind of apathy too often in establishments that are in business to provide customer service. Yes, I was a bit sensitive. Too often, people’s approach to work is inconsistent with their expectations to get paid—forget that—it’s inconsistent with their expectations to get regular raises and promotions on the job. Have you never met someone who loves a paycheck but hates work?

Please understand that in that same day, I sat in the restaurant at my hotel, unable to avoid the loud discussion between an ex-pilot and some woman he was evidently trying to impress. At one point, talking about his love for leisure, he said to her, “Well as you know, work is a curse, so I do as little of it as necessary. Yep, work is a four letter word.” I really wanted to get up and pick an argument with him—or slap him up a little (smile). But I let it go. That attitude about work is often at the heart of employee grievances, low productivity and even business failures.

I must confess that at one point, I too had the mistaken impression that work was a curse inflicted on mankind; that after Adam sinned, he forfeited the ease and comfort of The Garden of Eden. However, much to my amazement, one day I discovered, by actually reading the Bible, that BEFORE The Fall—before the big sin—God gave the garden to Adam and Eve and told them to till it…to cultivate and keep it in order. Work came before sin! In fact, he who does not work is much more likely to sin than he who works, and there is a broad variety of reasons.

Back to our nonchalant lady at the counter. I really wanted her to understand the connection between keeping her job and helping the customer feel good. In the midst of all this, the young man returned from the corner of the store with a little blue box in his hand. Without a word, he reached for my phone and took it, then bent down near the electrical socket close by. He opened the blue box, fished out a little device and with that, plugged my phone into the wall. Then he beckoned: “Come!” He showed me that little battery symbol on my phone, lighting up from empty to full repeatedly…the indicator that my battery was getting an electrical charge.

I was delighted. He moved swiftly to the cash register and prepared the bill for the transaction. I paid him, expressed my gratitude and turned back to the young lady at the counter. “Do you see what I’m talking about?” At this point, I expected her to show some remorse, look a little sheepish and even pretend to apologize. Wouldn’t you think so? But what happened next was unexpected. Nothing. She had no emotional or verbal response. She didn’t seem to care! I left the store with the ominous

warning: “You are going to lose this job.”

All across the western world, I have encountered people complaining about the lack of good jobs. That is nonsense. Yes; in some economic times, jobs may be harder to acquire than at other times. However, there is virtually NEVER a shortage of great work—opportunity for meaningful, fulfilling work that brings great rewards. I remember working for a large company that literally put a freeze on hiring. Even in the midst of that stoppage, we were quietly hiring people whenever we found excellent, passionate ones that could help our business grow.

No; there is never a lack of great work, but almost always, there is a shortage of qualified people. By qualified, I don’t mean just technical competency. I mean to say there is always a shortage of competent people who exhibit the right attitude and disposition to give their best, improve themselves and make a meaningful contribution wherever they work.

Good news: you never have to fear being without work. Even if you are temporarily displaced, as long as you have skills combined with the right attitudes, there’s a host of businesses that would gladly have you. Furthermore, if you are in the capacity of being an employer, here are two critical pieces of advice from my “Ultimate Sales Manual - The Gentle Power to Get YES” This will make your life easier and put money into your pockets.

First: “BE SLOW TO HIRE AND QUICK TO FIRE. Most companies do the very opposite. They desperately search for help and gladly settle on the first candidate that comes close to the requirements. Then, when an employee fails to perform, they tend to give that employee another two to three years to prove it beyond a shadow of doubt. In the mean time, productivity suffers and opportunities are squandered on every side.”

Second: “Avoid choosing people primarily by job competence and experience. For the best team, select from the most competent candidates, those with the right attitudes and aptitudes… mindset plus the ability to learn. Job skills can be taught, but teaching attitude and mindset is far more difficult.”

Adopt the right approach to your work and you will discover that it is indeed a four letter word, just like some of its

relatives: CASH, FOOD and LOVE.

Trust me, this attitude will give you altitude.

Alvin PS: To obtain the life-changing “Ultimate Sales Manual — The Gentle Power to Get YES” go to http://alvinday.com/products.html or email me at info@AlvinDay.com .