What is the correct attitude and approach at work?

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Stay out of office politics where possible and focus on work (including not gossipping)

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Have a good working relationship with colleagues where possible

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Take the initiative and manage your own work (do not expect to be micromanaged for example)

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Place the interests of the client before the company, and the company before your own

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Work as hard as necessary for the job and to meet the standards of the job, but not neceesarily as hard as your potential allows

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Introduce innovation and ways to save yourself time and effort, so long it doesn't break company policies, your manager's instructions, or regulations

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Work hard to keep the department and company afloat where possible, but do not drift too far from the scope of the work you have signed up to do. Whether you have the capacity to double the size of the company or profits or not is not relevant unless it's part of your job

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Unless there are major issues with the way the company or manager does things (e.g. breach of law, deteriment to the company, defeats the objective of the task, etc.), obey instructions, even if you do not agree with them

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You choose and agree to the career and job you signed up for, but the employer doesn't have right to dictate what role you choose to be in once you start e.g. if you sign up to do accounting, the employer shouldn't then decide to move you to marketing just because they think it's a better fit for them. If they do, quit

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Play dumb or hold back where necessary, such that you don't appear better than your peers or make your peers look bad

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Be blunt/truthful about your assessment or work when asked, even if it works against yourself or others

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Unless your work directly affects other colleagues, they have no right to criticise your work

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Unless what you do outside of work directly affects your performance during work, it doesn't really need to be mentioned e.g. you could be running a multimillion pound company, or protest against issues in society, but they have no relevance to the job expect for the number of hours you work

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Unless it's a major mistake that has large underpinning issues for the company, the mistakes should be discreetly pointed out to the people directly involved

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Try to adhere to company policies and instructions, unless they present compliance issues or legal issues

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Getting the job done is more important than whether you like the job or enjoyed the process i.e. whether you're passionate about what you do doesn't take precedence over what you agreed to do, and your passions don't really matter in the workplace

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The person's ability to do the job is important. Whether you like the person or not is irrelevant, and you shouldn't try to get rid of the person because of your preferences

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Working hard and working well is more important than rubbing the right shoulders

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Stress should be managed, and your health should be a concern to the company

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A respectable leader is one who looks after his/her subordinates

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Kissing up to the peers is not a prerequisite for the job

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You should get access to whatever training or information needed for your role, and where you can work to your potential as appropriate

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You get to see if you're the right match for the company and the role, as well as the company get to see if you're a right fit for them

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Look after your own interests before anyone else's

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Meet the minimum regulatory requirements

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You will be dragged into office politics, whether you like it or not

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Working relationships are only great if they serve you, otherwise they are irrelevant

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The boss will try to make you work as hard as you can for the least pay they can get away with, whether it's fair pay or not

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All mistakes need to be reported to the manager, big or small

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You need to agree with the line of thinking of your superiors, and you need to think like them, even if how they think make no sense whatsoever.

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Whatever you advise, it needs to align with how the managers think. Otherwise, don't mention it unless it presents a major issue to the company

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You don't get to choose what role or career you want to go into; if the employer thinks you should go into a certain role, so be it irrespective of whether you agreed to it or not

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The employer thinks he/she has right to know what your full potential is, and has right to all of your knowledge and know-how irrespective of whether it's relevant to the role you applied for or not

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You should not be blunt about what you do, but dress it up if it's negative. Take credit where possible, and shift blame where appropriate (I don't do think by the way)

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People criticise about your work, whether there's any relevance to what they do or not

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You should disclose everything you do outside of work, whether it affects your work or not. In fact, if you have excessive income outside of your job, you will be turned down for promotions or you will not get the job, because you will not be as motivated to do the job or as dependent on the job. If what you do doesn't agree with what management thinks, you can be let go for whatever reason, fair or not.

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You obey all of the manager's requests, fair or not, appropriate or not

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You take blame for all of your superior's faults and you correct all of his/her's mistakes/shortcomings, whilst they take all the credit for your work

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You are required to be passionate about the job you do, irrespective of whether you can do the job or not. If you're not, you're fired

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If someone doesn't like you in the company, he/she will do everything he/she can to get rid of you

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Who you know is more important than whether you can do the job. It's all about looking good

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The company has the pick of the crop, and you're the one desperate for the job. If you're not bending over backwards for the job, you're not employable.

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Your health and welfare is not a concern to the company. You are just a cog in the wheel. If you're no longer needed or suitable for the company, they will just get rid of you. Any personal liability you inccured during the job is irrelevant to the company, despite the personal costs being directly related.

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You are required to meet targets and goals the company has set for you, irrespective of the constraints or whether they are remotely realistic or not

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A respectable leader is whoever is employed as your manager. No need for your trust to be earned.

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It's all about performing well according to what the managers define good according to be (he/she also expects you to know what good means according to the manager, irrespective of whether they are explicit about it or not).

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You will also need to kiss up to the manager, irrespective of how intolerable he/she is. It's part of the territory.

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You need to stick to the role/job that you are assigned to. You're not allowed to rotate on the job or take on more responsibilities unless the manager tells you that you should have taken initiative where he/she thinks you should have done.

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You're expected to take on the role with no training. If you don't do what is expected even when they have not been specific or explicit about it, you lose your job

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The manager is always right, even when he/she is wrong. You are wrong irrespective of whether you're in the right or wrong. You are also not allowed to stand up for yourself, otherwise you will be seen as defensive.