Rules to Work By

As this milking season comes to a close, one of our employees will begin a new phase of her life as a stay at home (and work from home) mom.  She has been with us a little over three years and we wish her all the best in all her new endeavors. 

We have been blessed with low employee turn-around over the past couple of years, but that has not always been the norm.  We have had people work as little as one week after hiring.  We have seen all sorts of personalities and work ethics -or lack of- along with exceptional character traits and some that...well...lets just say they could use some improvement.

With the recent uptick in people looking for work, I have seen a lot of articles on resume writing, and interviewing.  But what about keeping that job you land? What about climbing up the ladder in both position and pay?  Ever wonder what keeps employers from moving you up?

We have an employee handbook that clearly states all the rules that we expect everyone to follow when working here.  What we haven't had is a standard for conduct and/or character expectations.  If we did, this is what I would include, from an employer's perspective:

1. Don't leave tasks assigned to you undone for others to finish.
2. Don't leave a mess for others to clean up.
3. Do a complete and thorough job.
4. Be at work both mentally and physically.
5. Show up on time...or 5-10 minutes early so you are "ready to work" at the appropriate time.
6. Leave work at work and home at home-unless its an emergency or serious situation. Your boss actually cares about you, believe it or not.
7. Don't be the office drama queen/king or gossip central. 
8. Only say positive or encouraging words. If you don't have something nice to say....just be quiet.
9. Don't be a minimalist.  Do a tad more than what's expected. Something about the extra mile....
10. Own up to your mistakes, and then correct them. Don't pass the blame.
11. Say "I'm sorry" when you need to. We all make mistakes.
12. Take initiative.  Learn what needs to be done, then do those things without being asked.
13. Do not be wasteful of time or supplies.  These things cost money, and the more money spent on these things, the less money spent on employee compensation.
14. Treat the company as if it were your own. This will pay dividends. Literally.
15. Remember, your current boss is who your next boss will call for a reference.

So what if your boss isn't the easiest person to work for?  Why should you do all these things, and strive to be an excellent employee?  That depends on who you think you're working for.  As Christians we're instructed to work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men (Colossians 3:23).

We are also reminded:
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Proverbs 14:23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. 

 Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the  midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among who you shine as lights of the world.

If you find yourself in a rut at your workplace, consider doing a little self-check using the items above.  Is there something you can improve on?  Even if you feel your effort goes unnoticed, at least at the end of the day you will know that you have done your very best-from that point on its out of your control.

Because every blog needs a picture-

"For someone with no thumbs, it certainly seems as though that's all you have."
Courtasy of Rubes Cartoons 2013 Leigh Rubin

In the Farmer's Kitchen...

In January Rick, kid #2 and two of our friends went to the Ft. Wayne Farm Show.  As usual, I sent some snacks, including our own version of "Monster Cookies".  Yesterday, one of our friends insisted that I give him the recipe. Apparently he had taken the extras home, and when he went to get one after work, they were all gone-imagine that!

We rarely purchase snack foods.  Can you imagine swinging by the gas station and picking up snacks and drinks for a family of 7? That would cost almost as much as a weeks' worth of groceries.  More importantly, we don't need to be eating all those artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.

Here is my version of Monster Cookies.  This is a gigantic batch, so you may want to halve it if you don't have a very large mixing bowl.

12 eggs    
4 c brown sugar, packed tight
4 c white sugar
1 lb butter
1 T pure vanilla
8 t soda
3 lbs natural peanut butter
3 packages Ghirardelli chocolate chips
19 cups oatmeal

First, cream the sugars and butter in your mixer.  I use a kitchenaid, and it can handle this first part well. 

 

 

Next, mix in the eggs and vanilla.

Pour the mixture into your large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter and mix.

Add soda and mix.

Finally, add oatmeal and chocolate chips. Mix well.

Because I use regular rolled oats, natural peanut butter and butter (not margarine) I let this sit overnight in the fridge.

Use an ice cream scoop to portion out cookies and slightly flatten on cookie sheet.  I prefer to use parchment paper for easy clean-up.  Bake in a 350 oven for 10-12 minutes.  As the cookies cool, they will set up.  Get your freezer bags ready-there's going to be a lot!

I like to use quality ingredients for taste and to avoid artificials.  I make this cost effective by buying organic oatmeal in a 50lb bag from country life natural foods.  From Sam's club I buy butter (2.12/lb), brown sugar (7lbs $4.48), white sugar (25lbs $9.84) and pure vanilla extract (16 oz. $6.88).  Ghirardelli chocolate chips use pure vanilla, and you can get them at Sam's (.22/oz), but recently our local Kroger had an excellent sale over the holidays that matched that price, so I stocked up there.  They also had natural peanut butter for $1.88 each (the lowest I have seen), so I have at least 6 months worth in my cubard right now.

 

 

Enjoy....now and later!