“One rotten apple spoils the whole basket”: The apple gets its wish [2/2]

Some light ...

Continuing with my last post, I was wonder, what really motivate people to wake up every morning? is it money? ... is it that the true motivator of the World? or just a lure of happiness? ...

There is an RSA video called "The surprising truth about what motivate us", which is a book by Dan Pink -- maybe another good book to be included in my list ;)--. Listen at the example he gives:

"You get a bunch of people around the World, who are doing highly skilled work, but they are willing to do it for free, and volunteer their time 20, sometimes 30 hours a week .. and then what they will create, they will give it away rather than sale it"

Is this possible? ... well, yes it is, we have Linux, and all open source technologies out there. The question here is: Why these highly skilled people, who have already well-paid JOBS, are dedicating their free time to do some very good job for free? Dan Pink says "its overwhelming CLEAR CHALLANGE and MASTERY along with to making a CONTRIBUTION" is what motivate us. Moreover, he says, "we are PURPOSE maximizers, not only profit maximizers". He closes his speech with the following, which I found inspiring:

"If we start to treat people like PEOPLE, and not assuming that they are horses ... we can actually build organizations and work lifes that make us better off ... and make the World just a bit better " Dan Pink.
--

If you are in the very unfortunate position of being somewhere you do not belong to, or you feel your work is not really fullfilling, if you struggle every day to wake up and say to your self "I hate this job", and there is anything you can do about it ... try to dedicate your free time to something you want to become good at, to something you want to MASTER, drawing, dancing, cooking, writing, inventing, innovating ... whatever can make you feel passionated about; and if that something can be given away, I am sure the satifastion will be doubled.

I found a very nice picture and post on the net which can serve as anallogy to what today I just wrote :)

"Breaking a repeating pattern can have a dramatic effect ... In this barrel, the red apple gets its wish. We all notice you now, Red Apple". [Ref]

Go ahead and break the pattern :D, to make, if not the World, at least ours better ;)

-ec

“One rotten apple spoils the whole basket” [1/2]

... is not it that selfish individualism displaces collectivism and groupism, when there is not a common aim to pursue?

I have more than a friend who is not exactly very happy at their work places, or with what they do for living, which I found sad. Myself, I have been in a similar position before. I remember, first I was feeling unhappy and with some boiling energy inside me wanted to do something about and change my situation. Then, when I found out that there was not exactly much to do, all my endeavors, my spirit (I would say) for doing better, something useful, something that in some manner could be helpful and recognized by someone, was somehow turned off. And it happened to me that, although I was not very happy, resignation came to my heart. I am not sure if everyone experiments the same as I did, but my previous experience and my friends' lead me to the following conclusion: When miss-understanding and lack of empathy governs our work places, environment, there is not any longer a common aim to pursue, and then we do not care any longer what our work teams do, our companies, or neighbors. The only thing is left to us is ... 'ourselves'. We turned out from wanting to contribute with something, to more vain and selfish pursuits, such as money making. Why? ... simply because with it (money) we can sooth ourselves differently ... although ... we still care about people (in a different manner of course).

The way I see things is that we, all of us, look to give something good to others, or simply to be recognized or at least to be noticed. Our trials range from bringing something good for our common well being, through new inventions, pro-social and humanitarian activities, to much smaller things, such as preparing a delicious diner for our families or give a nice gift to our friends. Going further, this can be extended to a more vain things such as getting some new shoes or some cool gadget to impress others ... the point is that we do still want to attract others' attention, maybe not really 'caring', but yes, we still want to at least be noticed.

People who are not motivated very unlikely will bring up good to their environs, which can be potentially the cause of losses to the whole company, group or community. It is just like the very popular Mexican saying “One rotten apple spoils the whole basket” ...


Image taken from [link]

--

"Lack of understanding leading us away from unity, that's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling' under ..." PAJON, GEORGE JR/ADAMS, WILL/BOARD, PRINTZ.