When I was in high school I worked on a farm. I bailed the hay and got it ready in the barn for the winter. I cleaned and bagged seed for the following years crop. During one summer, I had to pick up the rocks from a field before the seeds could be planted.
I remember being in the field alone. It was hot in the sun and I was tired. It would have been easy for me to “skip” a few rocks and get the job done fast, but something didn’t seem right to me about that.
It might be because I know that everything I do, I must be willing to put my name on it and stand behind it.
Some call this strong work ethic, and I would agree. Work ethic is more than just working hard. I worked very hard digging up those rocks but if I had cut corners I could not be proud of my days work. 
Your worth ethic is more than just working hard.
Regardless of whether you are a salaried employee, work the drive-thru window or are self-employed, your ability to have a strong work ethic will set you apart.
At the end of the day, your most precious possession you own is your reputation. Everything you do builds your reputation to those around you.
The term “work ethic” is defined as the principle that hard work is intrinsically virtuous or worthy of reward.
Intrinsically virtuous references to the idea that working hard is upright and a matter of moral based on your character.
Worthy of reward seems pretty simple. People who work hard should be rewarded for their work. Rewards can come in the form of a bonus or a raise. It also comes in the form of growth in responsibility, leadership or new opportunities being presented.
No one wants to work with a slacker that does their work half-heartily, does the bare minimum and only willing to do what it required to just get by.
This kind of person is frustrating to be around. In fact, I think I am allergic to them!
I would suggest that work ethic is a neutral term that must be qualified by the words strong or poor. Here is what I would use to evaluate a strong work ethic:
- Having pride in what you do
- Doing what you do to the best of your ability
- Giving whatever task you are working on your full attention
- Taking care of the relationships of those you work with
- Doing everything you do with excellence
- Showing up on time
- Being well prepared
- Having a positive attitude
- Being willing to stand behind what you do
When you are working on a project, volunteering for an organization or really doing anything else in life, you are showing the world what kind of work ethic you really have.
In my opinion having a strong work ethic is a matter of integrity. How could I put my name on anything (a day’s work, a project, a blog post) and not do it with excellence and to the best of my ability?
Anything less in my mind is a breach of my integrity.
How would you describe someone that has a strong work ethic?
