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kimball_hansen's review against another edition
3.0
This was a nice little short book. Not Barry's best work IMO but worth a read.
Notes:
To have a job that you are happy and even eager to do, it helps IF:
-the work itself is challenging, varied, and engaging.
-the work allows you to use your skills and to develop new skills.
-you have discretion over how you do your job.
-you feel that you are part of a group with fellow coworkers that you respect.
-the work is aimed at a goal that is valuable and that gives the work that you do meaning and purpose.
I'm not getting most of these things at my work. But I got less than a year until I get that tiny dangling carrot!
Reasons don't always add, sometimes they compete (like being told you have to pick up your kid from daycare on time and you'll pay a fine if you're late).
When we lose confidence that the people have the will to do the right thing and we turn to incentives, we find that we get what we pay for.
"The more is written in contracts the less can be expected without them. The more you write it down, the less is taken or expected on trust." - Economist, Fred Hursch
Good work situations can easily turn into bad ones either from excessive oversight and regulation or from excessive reliance in material incentives.
Notes:
To have a job that you are happy and even eager to do, it helps IF:
-the work itself is challenging, varied, and engaging.
-the work allows you to use your skills and to develop new skills.
-you have discretion over how you do your job.
-you feel that you are part of a group with fellow coworkers that you respect.
-the work is aimed at a goal that is valuable and that gives the work that you do meaning and purpose.
I'm not getting most of these things at my work. But I got less than a year until I get that tiny dangling carrot!
Reasons don't always add, sometimes they compete (like being told you have to pick up your kid from daycare on time and you'll pay a fine if you're late).
When we lose confidence that the people have the will to do the right thing and we turn to incentives, we find that we get what we pay for.
"The more is written in contracts the less can be expected without them. The more you write it down, the less is taken or expected on trust." - Economist, Fred Hursch
Good work situations can easily turn into bad ones either from excessive oversight and regulation or from excessive reliance in material incentives.
indust's review against another edition
One important thing I learned with this book is that believing we only work for pay makes us actually only work for money.
"you start out to believe that people are basically lazy, don't want to work and care only about their pay when they do. Based on this belief, you create a workplace that is focused only on efficiency, with jobs that are mindlessly repetitive, counting on the paycheck to motivate the workers. (...) in an environment like that, all that matters to workers is their pay." (p.75)
It goes on about different theories about the workplace but I felt like most of the solutions offered are for enterprises and not much for individuals.
It was an interesting read, I learned a lot, and I liked how the author cited works on different studies in social sciences, psychology and philosophy, etc.
"you start out to believe that people are basically lazy, don't want to work and care only about their pay when they do. Based on this belief, you create a workplace that is focused only on efficiency, with jobs that are mindlessly repetitive, counting on the paycheck to motivate the workers. (...) in an environment like that, all that matters to workers is their pay." (p.75)
It goes on about different theories about the workplace but I felt like most of the solutions offered are for enterprises and not much for individuals.
It was an interesting read, I learned a lot, and I liked how the author cited works on different studies in social sciences, psychology and philosophy, etc.
jimmacsyr's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting discussion about job satisfaction vs pay. The job we do is not usually what is strictly in a job description. I enjoyed the book
romcm's review against another edition
5.0
This was a slim volume, but well worth reading. Many of the social science experiments that have been shared via Ted Talks and various podcasts have been repackaged into this essay on work and meaning. The main contention is that we need to design workplaces that allow workers "autonomy and discretion" to achieve a sense of "mastery and expertise" and to help people find meaning in the work they do by pointing out the ways in which their work helps others. It also mentions the many things that get in the way of meaningful work (i.e. Money).
naiapard's review against another edition
3.0
It has some interesting ideas but it's not saying much. It's a small book, a more appropriate name would be "an essay" on why people arrived at this point when a job can be a conundrum and how few are those remained that really enjoy their work place. There are some examples, followed by explanations that are drawn on the sides.
It's a light read and an useful introduction for those that aren't accustomed with reads on this genre.
It's a light read and an useful introduction for those that aren't accustomed with reads on this genre.
jonathancrites's review against another edition
3.0
Took a while to finish this short volume as I got sidetracked on another read. I feel like the topic of work, our motivation and purpose in work, and all that entails is a vital subject right now. While I don’t necessarily buy into all of his criticism of Smith and incentive, I did resonate with the talk of ideology in work. The why we work is pretty much as important as the incentive, at least in terms of being happy with your work. I think a shortfall in his argument for happiness is that he glosses over the unhappiness of being jobless and the psychic trauma that can induce as well. We should not overestimate the happiness caused by wages and we should not understate the unhappiness by being poor and jobless.
mlottermoser's review against another edition
3.0
I've never read a TED talk in book form before today. A very fast read that covers an interesting topic that effects everyone, work.
Schwartz covers a variety of examples of how work has changed, what incentives and over management do to work, and provides a simple exercise to improve work quality.
Schwartz believes people work to engage, find meaning, and be challenged. He thinks incentives and society have changed that objective.
He states, "Jobs can be organized to include variety, complexity, skill development, and growth. They can be organized to provide the people who do them with a measure of autonomy. And perhaps most important, they can be made meaningful by connecting them to the welfare of others."
You must ask:
- Why? What is the purpose of this work and will it inspire people?
- What? Is the product of our work something that will provide a benefit?
- How? Are the workers given independence to solve every day problems?
Schwartz covers a variety of examples of how work has changed, what incentives and over management do to work, and provides a simple exercise to improve work quality.
Schwartz believes people work to engage, find meaning, and be challenged. He thinks incentives and society have changed that objective.
He states, "Jobs can be organized to include variety, complexity, skill development, and growth. They can be organized to provide the people who do them with a measure of autonomy. And perhaps most important, they can be made meaningful by connecting them to the welfare of others."
You must ask:
- Why? What is the purpose of this work and will it inspire people?
- What? Is the product of our work something that will provide a benefit?
- How? Are the workers given independence to solve every day problems?