| Reflections about work |
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Escrito por Carlo Airoldi
Ter, 27 de Abril de 2010 07:00 |
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1 – Working or not depends on our mental attitude
Our attitude towards a task or activity often determines whether we call it work or not. Depending on the attitude, the work can be enjoyable or annoying, pretty much as a game would be. Many employers consider seriousness as a synonym of dedication and hard work. At a large agro-business multinational company in Brazil, they reward the most productive department every year. For many years in a row, the winner has been also the most enjoyable department to work for. Camaradarie and humor raises up the workers morale, which improves the overall working performance, according to David Sirota in his book The Enthusiastic Employee.
So, choose to turn your work into pleasant moments, and stop “working”.
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2 – Wealth as the basis of a national culture
Benjamin Franklin emphasized work as a social obligation, and not a religious duty. He also praised the wealth as morally fine since it would help society to develop. For sure it is – among other factors - the basis of the American Dream, placing the USA as one of the world’s most developed country.
Contrary to the USA history, the culture in Brazil has long praised those who work hard, but also punished those who have become rich. In a recent research by one of the most relevant Brazilian business magazine, the population considered that those who have more are supposed to share their extra money with those who are in need. That exposes a paternalistic culture that need to be exchanged by a culture of strong educational development and tax reduction in order to foster innovation and wealth creation in a countrywide scale.
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3 – The power of relationship and knowledge
Skill and technical knowledge make workers valuable and give them more power in the relationship with their employer. However, some scholars claim that people and relational knowledge will serve the future corporation better than the technical knowledge. In my understanding, both technical and relational knowledge are vital, since the first brings precision, and the latter brings synergy. However the human aspects are still limited to few people who have a natural gift for relating with others or for those who have had the rare opportunity to master how to do it. Besides the growing demand, I believe that there is still a long way for the human aspects to occupy the room it deserves in the working realm.
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4 – When “the work” works for us
Work offers us discipline, identity, and worth. Without work we face infinite options about what to do and be. Not many people deal well with such a “freedom”, regardless of our educational level or financial condition. It is highly important for each one of us to find the most suitable job to our own personal development (I am not referring to wages), since it will influence who we are and what we do, and how we are perceived by others. It is important to advice and guide those who are starting their working lives toward a job and work environment that can positively build their personality and character, beyond their own career.
For those who are already far on the road, it is always time for an honest assessment about our job and personal realization.
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5 – Work and punishment
Bible tells us Adam had to work as punishment for being disobedient to God. Ancient Creeks defined work as punishment. In a non-distant catholic perspective, sacrifice was a way of purifying the human heart. So it should be the human work. Besides the positive trends related to work, the huge majority of the world’s job positions are yet related to punishment than to anything else. The large majority of workers in Brazil live with about US$260 a month – which can be considered a fortune if compared to some countries in Africa or Asia – and under limited working conditions. However, due to the globalization and other economic factors, the average Brazilian cost of living can be compared to the American and European ones, what gives to the South American workers a huge disadvantage compared to their job related peers in North America and Europe, in terms of wages and job benefits. A romantic vision of work cannot substitute reality, not since it implies in suffering for a living.
For many workers, the ancient Greeks are still right.
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6 – Loss of freedom
John Locke and Adam Smith realized that employees are not only paid for what they produce, but for their loss of freedom at work as well. I see that as a reality still nowadays, since people at work refrain from expressing themselves freely and openly. There is a hidden working agreement that expects employees to conform to the organization’s culture don’t matter what, or at least, not to make any act that might disturb the status quo. Very seldom employers keep in their companies those who are openly against their ideals or intentions, what is natural and obvious. It is especially harmful for those individuals that do not corroborate with such a culture, since it causes strong personal conflicts. If that is your case, think of finding a more suitable work environment to your profile, and enjoy more pleasant moments.
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7 - Scientific Management
Besides all the criticism regarding the Scientific Management idealized by Frederick Taylor, it certainly was quite important for the production line development. The way it divided the work into smaller pieces, analyzing each one of them in a way to make it more productive and optimized was significantly important for speeding up production and quality. However, turning human into machines was Taylor’s main mistake. I believe Taylor’s Scientific Management model would have a different outcome whether he would take into consideration employees’ perspective and experiences, allowing a more flexible working environment. That would not demand Ford of having 54 thousand people to keep the average of 13 thousand employees’ workforce due to its turn round. Besides the human problems caused, I am sure that being completely conscious of how the work is processed is a fundamental step to manage how people can engage to it.
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8 - Meaningful work addresses meaningful needs
During war times workers were very energetic and motivated, and that included blue-collar employees, even though they were doing exactly the very same work they had always done. The reason for that was because the war created an outside meaning that workers were deeply committed to: the country sovereignty. The meaning filled up peoples’ mind with direction and purpose, making them being more productive. This clearly shows us that a company meaning has to go beyond profits or shareholders’ benefits. People need to find a purposeful reason for working, independently of their job. Nowadays organizations need to make real their social meaning, allowing workers to find a reason to which they can heartedly commit to.
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9 - Belonging: a human need
William White mentioned that people have the need of belonging. Being part and accepted by a community is a basic human condition. As we spend most of our productive life working, organizations that care and value healthy human relationship are far ahead in terms of people management than those focused in the production and profitability matters. Individuals who feel part of an organization are much more prone to commit to it. They tend to defend the organization as it was theirs, engaging in plans, policies, and all sort of projects.
Nowadays leaders need to master the art of creating collaborators a sense of belonging.
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10 - The influence of the work in individuals’ identity
In a recent past, there was the employees’ expectation that the first job was for life. It was always an unwritten pact between the parties. That was a way to reinforce the employers’ demand for more commitment and loyalty. Those who have blindly embraced such a situation, suffered most when they were dismissed. In that case, many lost everything: income, health care, reputation, and even identity. The identity factor shows us how strong it is the relationship between employee and employer. The company becomes part of the individual. Without the company, the individual self-image and personality are affected. It still happens nowadays, but employees need to be aware of that and create an identity that cannot be dependent on a work relationship.
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11 - Managing change is still rare
Besides the greater application of machines and technologies, human factors are still vital for producing value. Managers are not ready to deal properly with human factors yet. Very seldom managers take appropriate consideration regarding people management, such as feelings, concerns, reactions, collaboration, training, communication, and support. When it happens, they usually plan short-term actions and results, without having appropriate knowledge and tools. In my experience, planning the change properly beforehand is rare. Managers are poorly prepared in most of the organizations, mainly in small and medium ones. It is a clear signal that there is a considerable room to expand change management practices and strategic transformation all over the business industry.
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12 – Job Dismissing and Leisure
Many of those who lose their jobs unexpectedly also lose the energy and ability for leisure and enjoyment. The sense of losing a job gives a powerless feeling, lack of importance, and the sense of personal failure. All those influence negatively the conditions for enjoyment. It demands a period of recovery until the emotions are settled down. The support for recovering self-esteem under unemployment is the key for those who are under pressure. When an employee decides by himself to leave the job, the feeling of losing is usually diminished or inexistent, because he or she is in control of the situation.
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