The Secret of Inspiration

[moghopper]

http://biz.yahoo.com/bizwk/050601/sb20050617854_sb037.html

During an interview for my new book, I was speaking to Dilbert creator Scott Adams about the failure of most managers to inspire their employees...Most employees are uninspired by their work and by the people for whom they work. How do I know? Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist. Just look at the face of the person next to you on the train during rush-hour commute...

 

[Nords]

Gosh, what ever happened to inspiring employees by taking care of them? That's probably why they'd walk through fire for Chambers-- it's sure not because his vision has improved.

 

[Marshac]

Gosh, what ever happened to inspiring employees by taking care of them?

Bah, why do that when we can increase Q2 profits by axing a few? Pink slips for them, bonuses for the board!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Take their cell phones away! No pagers either!

There Robin, our work here is done...

 

[chris2008]

Success is only 10% inspiration but 90% perspiration....

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Success is only 10% inspiration but 90% perspiration....

I used to believe this completely. Not now. Thinking is the answer.
Of course, if you think so hard you sweat.......

JG

 

[unclemick]

Like sanity - inspiration and thinking is way, way overrated.

Had I stayed stupid - DCA'd into a broad based, low cost stock fund (later index fund) from day one - and stuck with it without thinking - I'd have come out much further ahead.

Unfortunately - my disease wasn't fully diagnosed until later - left handed INTJ engineer.

Thinking, putzing(read almost thirty years R&D), can be brought somewhat under control through disease management techniques - like doing nothing in a controlled manner(ER is recommended).

Alas - being hormonal - you have to live with it - and make do the best you can. Inspiration and thinking are incurable - but you are NOT required to act - and the urge will pass.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Like sanity - inspiration and thinking is way, way overrated.

Had I stayed stupid - DCA'd into a broad based, low cost stock fund (later index fund) from day one - and stuck with it without thinking - I'd have come out much further ahead.

Unfortunately - my disease wasn't fully diagnosed until later - left handed INTJ engineer.

Thinking, putzing(read almost thirty years R&D), can be brought somewhat under control through disease management techniques - like doing nothing in a controlled manner(ER is recommended).

Alas - being hormonal - you have to live with it - and make do the best you can. Inspiration and thinking are incurable - but you are NOT required to act - and the urge will pass.

Well, I am most supportive of "doing nothing". You could ask my wife

Thinking can save your life though. Some of my best decisions were when I decided
not to do anything.

JG

 

[BigMoneyJim]

Take their cell phones away! No pagers either!

I wear a pager and cell phone, and at times I've had more than one of each and/or other gadgets on me. I'm occasionally mocked that I think I'm important with all that stuff and I respond that no, it means somebody owns me, and I'm at their beck and call. Status symbol my disguised wheelbarrow!

Please take my pager and phone!

 

[Spanky]

...The secret to inspiring your listeners is to paint a picture of a world made better by your service, product, company, or cause.

Hmmm... A picture paints a thousand words. The only picture that really provides inspiration is the one that shows that I can retire early and enjoy the sunset at a beach, golfing, biking, fishing, ....and work is far, far, far away

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

We used to get that one all the time. Take away the pagers and cell phones to squeak a few extra expense dollars out of the bottom line for a quarter.

I usually just asked why I'd want to pay a guy $100k a year to know stuff and then not pay $15-50 a month to be able to ask him stuff when I need to know it. Or what the hidden cost is of taking someones phone away, then giving it back to them six months from now with a different number, and having 20 people all trying to get him at the old wrong number until they finally figure that out and get the new number. Probably more than $20.

 

[gratefuled]

David Wingrove, author of the sci-fi Chung Kuo series, identified corporate "commodity slaves" by having them wear hi-tech collars. Excellent metaphor for Blackberry/cell phone/pager/laptop flunkies. Martha's ankle beeper isn't a bad one, either. I lost my Dingleberry Blackberry about two years ago and told our IT director not to bother replacing it. So far, so good.

But yeah, I can empathize with the comment on studying faces during the morning commuter rail ride. There are a lot of quiet, desperate souls on that train.

Ed

 

[FIYes]

I had the chance to get a cell phone at work awhile back. I said "no thanks." I figured I didn't want that electronic leash. I

 

[Spanky]

I had the chance to get a cell phone at work awhile back. I said "no thanks." I figured I didn't want that electronic leash. I

The company gave a pager before. I either left it off and did not carry it with me. Quite often, it just went out of battery power and the supply cabinet did not stock batteries (or simply ran out). As soon as people discovered that you had a pager or cell phone, they would start calling and expect you to answer it right away. I finally just returned it - who needs that?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Oh I loved my blackberry. I could go anywhere, do anything I felt like, and still look like I was "working" after a semblance. I spent an entire day at the beach splatting out a series of emails every 30-45 minutes.

 

[Nords]

Oh I loved my blackberry.  I could go anywhere, do anything I felt like, and still look like I was "working" after a semblance.  I spent an entire day at the beach splatting out a series of emails every 30-45 minutes.

That's why they call them "Crackberries"!

 

[JonnyM]

I wear a pager and cell phone, and at times I've had more than one of each and/or other gadgets on me. I'm occasionally mocked that I think I'm important with all that stuff and I respond that no, it means somebody owns me, and I'm at their beck and call. Status symbol my disguised wheelbarrow!

Please take my pager and phone!

Recently found the solution. I created a small group of my staff to test the infamous CrackBerry's. Now I'm back to just one Phone/Pager/Palm/PC device hanging from my belt.

As stated above, I can be just about anywhere and appear to be nearby working my behind off... Course when I go , it goes, ....... won't miss it.

 

[BigMoneyJim]

Recently found the solution. I created a small group of my staff to test the infamous CrackBerry's. Now I'm back to just one Phone/Pager/Palm/PC device hanging from my belt.

Quite a few years ago when text messaging was new and wasn't called text messaging my group tried ditching the pager and having just the phone. At the time it wasn't near as reliable a service as the pagers--especially outside major metropolitan areas--so we kept the pagers. As far as I know we haven't tried again in the past few years, but it's probably closer to break-even now. Then again we've kept the same pager service for at least 8 years while changing cell phone vendors like we change our underwear, so either the pager company is doing something very right or one of our upper management guys has a stake in them.

Blackberries in my company are one of the status items. Only managing directors and above are allowed to have them. I haven't even heard the idea that they might be useful for my group even though my group is obviously who they would be ideal for. But then my group that services everyone else's technology manages to stay the farthest behind.