I think I speak for a lot of people when I say this: I do not give a fu-k about my 9-to-5 job. I don’t care about your KPIs, the company’s goals, or the team’s goals. I don’t give a fu-k about my coworkers, and I don’t give a sh-t about my boss. I don’t care how some director or VP feels about themselves, the team, or the company. I couldn’t care less about any of that.
The only thing I care about is how much money you’re paying me and how much bullsh-t I have to deal with to earn it. I don’t want drama. I don’t want politics. I don’t want unnecessary headaches. I want to do my job, get paid, and go home.
Over the years, I’ve had bosses and executives come to me talking about KPIs, metrics, performance targets, and company objectives. They act like it’s the most important thing in the world. Meanwhile, in my head, I’m just thinking, “Yeah, sure. I don’t give a fu-k.”
If we hit our KPIs, what does that actually mean for me? Am I getting a significant raise? Am I getting a bonus? Is my life improving in any meaningful way? If not, then why should I care? I don’t give a sh-t about what it means for management or what it means for the company. I care about what it means for me.
Unfortunately, when we’re at work, most of us have to pretend we care about those things. We nod along, smile, and act engaged because that’s part of the game. But the reality is that for most people, work is a transaction. We exchange our time and effort for a paycheck.
I think for 95% of employees, that’s the truth. They’re not there because they’re deeply passionate about quarterly targets or corporate strategy. They’re there to make a living. Everything else is just background noise.