Lessons in workplace wisdom from the donkey’s story: You can’t just bury yourself in work

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Lesson from the donkey’s story: Wisdom for the workplace – You can’t just focus on working hard; wisdom insight: Be as diligent as a donkey, but don’t stay in the same place； Working as hard as a donkey, sometimes longing only for a few words of praise, only to be met with whips – this is the real experience and feeling of many people in the workplace. In fact, it is not impossible to escape the fate of working hard like a donkey pulling a mill and to be recognized and valued in the workplace just like a thoroughbred horse; however, it requires continuous reflection and improvement based on one’s own circumstances. The one who tied the knot must be the one to untie it; read the following text – perhaps we can indeed find a solution by looking at the donkey. 1. Do you only do one type of work? Fable 1: The Donkey’s New Job Opportunity The animals were going to hold a get-together, and the fox, who served as the leader’s secretary, said to the donkey, “You have a loud voice; why not give a solo performance?” ”The donkey said, “I won’t go; I sing terribly badly.” ”The fox said, “Then go and give it a try as a host.” ”The donkey said, “I won’t go; I don’t have a good appearance.” ”The fox said, “Then what are you going to do?” ”The donkey said, “I only pull the mill.” ”The fox said, “Alright, then go and pull the mill.” ”The fox assigned the donkey to sing or act as a host because it valued the donkey’s loud voice, but the donkey preferred to avoid doing such things if possible; with the attitude that it would just keep grinding grain, it kept finding excuses to turn down these opportunities. In a company, you can’t just do one job like a donkey. Because, in addition to one’s own duties, any other matters within the company that are beneficial to work and corporate life should be taken initiative to handle. Approach other tasks in the company with a proactive attitude, put effort into trying, and strive to improve oneself. If you don’t care about anything and use your job as an excuse to shirk responsibility in any situation, over time you will end up staying in the same place, working tirelessly at the same position. II. Do you only work hard without reaping any rewards? Fable 2: The Donkey’s Performance – The superior leader, the tiger, came down the mountain to inspect things; he saw that all the other animals were playing, while only the donkey was plowing the mill. The tiger immediately praised him, saying, “It’s a blessing for our animal kingdom to have such hardworking employees!” ”The leader’s secretary, the fox, said to the tiger, “Boss, it’s true that the donkey is hardworking, but there’s nothing left in the mill; yet he continues to pull it. Isn’t that just creating an illusion?” ”The tiger saw that it was indeed the case, and couldn’t help but shake its head in sigh. The diligence of donkeys is beyond doubt, and even without any achievements they still put in hard work; it’s difficult to criticize them, but it makes one sigh. At the company, don’t just focus on working hard without caring about the results. It doesn’t matter whether you are busy or not; what your boss cares about is whether you have done your work well. Rather than working at full capacity with little result, it’s better to take some time to reflect on various aspects of the work in order to improve efficiency. If your work yields no results or no benefits, you must decisively change your approach to working. III. Do you have the breadth of mind for collaboration? Fable 3: The Donkey and the Grass. A donkey and a sheep went to the garden. The donkey saw clusters of green grass on top of the wall and became very eager for them. But no matter how hard I try, I’m just a little short of reaching it. The donkey found a ladder beside the wall corner, but it was afraid that after bringing the ladder over, it would need the sheep’s help to hold it, and the grass would have to be shared with the sheep. So it gave a few cries before giving up. A donkey can’t reach the grass; it’s not because it lacks intelligence or doesn’t understand the importance of cooperation – it simply doesn’t have the willingness to cooperate. In a company, one must realize that working alone isn’t enough; an individual’s intelligence and strength are ultimately limited. To achieve something significant, one needs partners, and even cooperation with colleagues from other departments. However, not everyone has the breadth of mind to work with others, just as not everyone is capable of achieving something significant. Because before working together with someone, you need to share the outcomes in your mind first. Collaboration includes both work and sharing. IV. Are you the company’s value-preserving asset? Fable 4: The Donkey’s Job Crisis At the year-end meeting, the donkey was once again not named a \"model worker.\" The donkey complained bitterly to the leader’s secretary, the fox: \"Why am I the most hardworking and diligent, yet I’m never chosen as an outstanding employee each year?\" ”The fox said with a smile, “Yes, your skill at grinding with a millstone is unmatched, but next year we need to keep up with the times and prepare to use machines for that task.” ”The donkey obviously never thought that the job it was meant to serve for a lifetime would one day pick up its pace and leave it behind. Times are advancing, and the company is growing. If one remains stagnant and fails to learn new things in a timely manner, failing to keep up with the pace of the times as well as the company’s development, they will eventually be eliminated. In a company, it’s not difficult to become an asset that retains its value; as long as you pay attention to the company’s direction of development, adjust your own actions accordingly, and learn new skills in a timely manner, then you will not only be an asset that maintains its value but also one that increases in value! As professionals, most of us probably hope to be the kind of people who can make a difference and are valued and recognized for our efforts. Yet, after working hard and diligently, one finds oneself unexpectedly labeled as a donkey meant only for pulling mills. The one who tied the knot must be the one to untie it; to get out of this situation, it is necessary to eliminate those ‘donkey-like’ traits that hinder progress. Only by breaking free from the mindset of a donkey and transcending its behavioral norms can one transform into a truly outstanding horse.