The Simple Habits That Keep You Employed

Showing up late, ignoring direction, and making coworkers miserable will end more careers than a lack of technical skill. We start with a deceptively simple line from Tom Hanks about what it takes to succeed at work: show up on time, know the text, and have an idea. Then we put it under a microscope and talk about what “the minimum” really looks like in modern workplaces where reliability and teamwork feel rarer than they should be. 

We share a real story from a program built to close a middle-skill workforce gap in Iowa. The state funded technical training, yet people still struggled to stay employed. Employers weren’t complaining about the certificate or the knowledge. They were describing behavioral breakdowns: not showing up, not following procedure, and constant conflict. That insight led to a practical approach centered on self-awareness, clear expectations, and accountability around four basic employability skills: show up, show up on time, do what you’re asked, and be easy to work with. 

From there, we get honest about the hardest leadership problem we see everywhere: toxic employees who produce results but damage the culture. We talk about why “fixing the jerk” is less effective than leading so the organization stops tolerating jerk behavior in the first place, and we address the real-world constraint leaders bring up all the time: “I can’t replace them.” If that’s true, we push for a plan instead of acceptance, with thoughtful action rather than reactive blowups. 

If you want practical leadership advice, better team culture, and a clear framework for job performance, press play. Subscribe, share this with a leader or teammate who needs it. 

Transcript

Speaker 0:00

Hello, Scott and Tammy. Good morning, Karman. Karman, what's going on? It's sunny days. I'm just helping people up. Look at that. Stepping up on the shoulder. Yeah. Let me help her up a little more. Those of you who can't see, Scott's talking about a visual that is behind him. And the rest of you are like, what are you talking about? They have no idea, Scott. They cannot see you. You keep forgetting. This is a podcast.

Morning Banter And Video Talk

Speaker 0:31

Isn't this on the interweb? Well, you mean we don't post this on the tiki talkie? It could be YouTube. Cool, yeah. Yeah. Or Instagram. So listeners, if you if you want to see the visual of these recordings, you know, send us an email and uh request that we should also be posting video on YouTube as well as these podcasts. That would mean that we would actually have to do something in the morning other than roll out of bed, grab a cup of coffee, and throw on a sweatshirt. Or maybe that's the appeal. Maybe it is, because this is the real Tammy Scott and Karman right here. This is not a good idea. I can see it right now. Onlyfans.com slash become more. Hmm. There's a special code that you get to see. Yes, special code. Special code, and then you get to see our faces. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. The cut your code is f-e-t-i-s-h. Scott Bergmeyer. Wow. I don't even know how to pivot from that. Scott Bergmeyer is naughty. That's what we're going to put out. Naughty Bergmeyer. Yeah, yeah. You know, last week Scott brought up Tom Hanks as part of his favorite, one of his favorite movies of all time, and not all time, favorite work-related movies. And if you haven't listened to that episode, it's worth going back to see why Scott picks what he picks, because of course it's not what you would expect. Right. But but Tom Hanks, I recently read an interview with Tom about one of his first jobs.

Tom Hanks Three Rules For Work

Speaker 2:30

And the director on this first job said, You have three things you need to do. Your job is to do three things, Tom. Show up on time, know the text, and have an idea. And in his interview, he sort of extrapolates on that of like, you know, how those are pretty good words to live by and apply sorta to just about every job. And so my that's my question for you guys today is like, how do you see that being a form of success, a way to be successful in what whatever your work is? Karman. Show up on time, know the text, have an idea. So you you might not know this, but this is kind of funny in this space. Scott and I ended up doing, in fact, one of our very first jobs that we actually ever did together, right? Is the state of Iowa was struggling with having people who could effectively do what I would call kind of these middle class jobs. So we had folks who were really

A Real Skill Gap In Iowa

Speaker 3:44

highly skilled and had that kind of ability inside of the state. And then we had folks who were, I would call them frontline skilled. So people who, hey, you just take orders and you know, just do what you're told, kind of people, right? But they were looking for folks in the middle. We we were had a skill gap in the middle of the state. And so the state was trying to take folks who were undereducated or underemployed or underemployed, like they're the things that they were capable of they had not developed yet. And they were trying to say, let's make sure that these people have an opportunity. And we want to give them some technical skills that are going to take them and put them solidly in this middle. And so the state dutifully put this program together and they gave money away to folks to actually go and get these technical skills to fill these skill gaps. And they had an an 80% rate of failure. People would go in and they would get that technical skill. But when they went back out into the workforce, they got that job, they couldn't keep that job, right? So I have the skill and the knowledge now, okay, but for some reason I can't stay employed. And so they came to Scott and I and talked with us about it. And Scott and I had to figure that piece out, right? Tom Hanks, hey, Tom, if you're gonna have a job, this is what you have to do to be successful around here. This is the minimum expectations. And we built a program. Scott, tell tell them what we did. Yep. What we found out when we talked with a number of employers around people were not leaving or being voted off the island because of the technical skill. It was all about they were either not showing up or showing up late, they were not doing what they were told, um, you know, following procedure, and or they were being a jerk. So we actually built a program and and we said, you know, it it was interesting because we built this, and you could not have people not take it because the community colleges are an open open access. So you could you couldn't say, hey, you can't come if you don't do this class, but you could say you are you aren't eligible for certain funding if you don't successfully complete this class. So you could still go, you would just have to pay your own way. And we basically did a program of self-discovery, self-awareness, and what are the bit what are the barriers preventing you from being excellent as good as you can? And really, it was show up, do your work, don't be an asshole. Well, we didn't quite say it that way, but the fact of the matter is there were four things, right? You show up, show up on time, do what your boss asks, and get along with others. And it was a five-day class that they had to actually get measured

The Four Basics That Matter

Speaker 6:51

on those four things over the course of uh five days. So one, we're teaching them that that is kind of the basics of being successfully employed, or maybe just have a successful life, okay, and then had a chance to practice it for five days in a row, which I know that sounds crazy, but I will tell you many, many, many of the reasons people did not stay employed after they got their certificate, their technical certificate, was because they didn't show up on time for five days in a row. They didn't do what they were asked to do from their boss for five days in a row. They didn't get along with others, they fought with others, they struggled with others, they pushed back, they weren't easy to work with, they were jerks, right? And it was really interesting what happened after people went through this class. So, to me, what you know, when I think back about those results, I know there was a 300% improvement in successful completion of the technical programs. So people would start and not finish the technical programs because of these reasons. And then the retention of people who went through this, I know went up. I think it was around 40%, maybe a little more, a little less. I was thinking it was 37, but we were in that world. And what's so funny is I think about today, like when we talk to clients today, same they're saying the same thing. People aren't showing up, people aren't doing it, you know, or they're not doing it how we need them to do it. Now, some of that is they're not maybe not being trained or educated, like we can sit and point fingers, but at the end of the day, I don't know that the reasons are any different. When I start to think about what prevents someone from performing, like operating well, it's the four T's at the end of the day. Have them been told, have they been given the tools? Have do they have the time told tools at training? Training is three, yeah. How to think about that one. And then it and then to me on the foundation of that is are they capable and willing? And assuming they're capable and willing,

Why Behavior Breaks Performance

Speaker 9:13

then the last part of performance is are you giving them feedback and the accountability piece? Right. And honestly, it's really easy for organizations when we have someone who can't do the work, i.e., I've hired you to run this machine, i.e., I've hired you to be a project manager, i.e., whatever the task is, if they can't do the task successfully, most organizations will actually say, hey, we hired the wrong person and transition them out. The spot that we see in organization after organization after organization after organization, and I mean 90 plus percent of the organizations that we walk into, the place where they struggle is in this behavioral piece. Okay. Now again, show up, show up on time. Most organizations can fire folks for that. Okay. But do what you were asked and be easy to work with. Those two places, for whatever reason, the organizations that we are typically in, those are places that we struggle. A boss will tell someone to do something, and the person's like, you know, I'm gonna do it my way, or I'm gonna go about and do this instead, or this takes priority. They won't typically come out and say, hell no, but they will find a way to do other things than necessarily what they were asked, right? And then the second one, and this is the number one thing that people tell us we have toxic employees, we have departments where people do not like one another and they struggle every single day, right? We have a spot where we have jerks that are at work and they're making the rest of our lives miserable, and so we get asked to come in and quote unquote fix the jerks all

Stop Tolerating Toxic Employees

Speaker 11:10

the time. And reality is fixing the jerk is one thing, but leading in a way so that we don't tolerate jerks is actually a heck of a lot more effective than fixing a jerk, right? Because now leading in a way where we actually don't accept that kind of behavior takes care of all of the jerks. And the one thing that we hear too often is I can't replace that person. And I just when we hear that, it's like I know what you're saying, and someone who's good at what they do, but makes the world painful for everybody else there infects the organization and keeps the organization from being successful long term. Cut your losses and go after something else. And I think it's like what I have been talking quite frankly frequently to clients and leaders about is Tammy, you're 100% right, and let's talk reality. Reality might be you're in a situation where holy smokes, if I vote that person off the island right now, that's gonna cripple me. I'm not gonna have someone to cover the night shift or like I get it. So, you know what? I might say,

Make A Plan Before You Act

Speaker 12:31

cool, I'm gonna deal with it for right now. And what's your plan? So that's the piece I've been pushing leaders to say, like, I get it, there is a reality here. What's your plan? And I again if you don't have a plan, then what you're saying is you accept that behavior and then you need to shut up and stop complaining about it. And I many times will say it that clearly to them. Like, you and and it's okay if your plan takes three months or six months, because that might I got it. But just to say, well, I can't do anything, no, then you are accepting that behavior and you need to stop complaining about it. And we should never in a reactive way kick someone off the island. Reactive is never that that means emotionally, I I have waited to a place where I no longer am patient and I'm like I'm done. Okay. And that is, by the way, not uh a really I would never say that's a great way to lead. So hey, think about it, consider it. What are your options? What's the best way to get from here to there? Don't be reactive, however, don't accept it for long term. So try to help them grow. If they don't grow, then it's like they gotta go. And you need a plan to help them go in a way that it makes the organization still sustainable. But accepting it and saying you have no power or no way of like there's nothing you can do, I don't accept that premise. Right. And that's the piece. So be thoughtful, be planned, do it in a smart way, don't be reactive and don't make that decision because you're angry right now. Make that decision because it's the right decision for the organization long term. The answer to your question, Karman, truly is show up, show up on time, do what you're asked. The organization needs you to add value, and the leader that you work for should be the person that helps you see how you can add value. Do what you're asked, all right? And then be easy to work with. Don't be the jerk at work, be that person that everybody looks like and say, I want you on my team. And if you actually bring those four qualities to the table, the fact of the matter

How To Be Someone People Want

Speaker 14:50

is, I don't care what your education is, I don't care how old you are, I don't care how young you are, I don't care any of that stuff. Reality is those things are so amazingly beneficial to an organization that folks who actually do that, people are gonna notice, and you're gonna get opportunities for you to grow and continue to add more and more and more in value to the organization. That's the foundation of what we need. And we're seeing that it is unusual instead of normal. I think in your think book, your book think, you've added a fifth, and it's that idea to Tom Hanks, have an idea. It's show up as a thinking human being. And how how would you articulate adding that thought? Well, that's interesting, Karman, because to me, that's it's not the minimum, okay? Right? So the minimum is those four. Scott's shaking his head. Okay, Scott, what are you saying? So uh

Beyond Compliance: Bring An Idea

Speaker 15:50

in in my mind, that is the minimum, so you can do those four. Oh, turn that around. Keep talking. So for me, how can I really show up? How can I not be a jerk? How can I be curious? How can I show up on time? How can I do what I'm told if I'm not thinking? It's an interesting perspective. Yeah, I can do that. And frankly, I don't want someone who can just do that. If you're not thinking about why it's important to show up and show up on time and do what you're told and not be an asshole, why do I want you? You're just going through the motions. Now, if you're in the spot where, hey, I haven't historically done that, I might get compliance first. I can live with that. And then after that, are you doing that with a purpose? Or are you just going through the motions? So, Scott, you just said something and it's it's making me a little, a little uncomfortable. Okay. Good. And and and it's an interesting, and Karman, it's because you pushed me. So thank you. In in both of these spaces. Lemming, and you know, years ago there was this commercial and the lemmings were running through the office, right? And it's a great video game. It's it's it's such an interesting concept. And maybe what we were saying in that first spot sounded like that a lemming, right? Just show up, you know, show up on time, do what you're told, and be easy to get along with. Lemming. Ultimately, I will also say if you're a lemming, I don't, it's compliance is fine. There are some people that there are spaces and places in an organization where, you know, it would be great just to have someone who could do that. And I'm not turning that position over all the time. And without the thinking portion of it, truly, you're not going to be seen as adding more and more and more and more value. So to me, it is the entry level to have those four things, but you're not going anywhere past entry level if you don't, if you don't add value by using that lovely thing between our ears and learning and growing and becoming more in that particular process. So, yeah, you're right. I don't want to leave the message of lemming, right? That's not the spot. If you are truly going to add value, then we have to add this next thing, which is how are you growing? How are you expanding? How are you continuing to see and look for ways to add value? And that does require that wonderful brain of ours that we can actually use to help the world be a better place if we're willing to exercise

Grow Your Value And Final Thoughts

Speaker 18:42

it. Yeah. Thanks, guys. Thanks for pushing me there.