10 insights on why we work — barry schwartz
TRANSCRIPT
This presentation consists of highlights from the interview with Moe Abdou,
founder & host of 33voices®.
Barry Schwartz is a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College and the author of Why We Work, The Paradox of Choice, and Practical Wisdom. His articles have
been published in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, the Chron-icle of Higher Education, Parade Magazine, USA TODAY, Advertising Age, Slate,
Scientific American, The New Republic, Harvard Business Review, and The Guard-ian, and he has appeared on dozens of radio shows, including Morning Edition, Talk
of the Nation, Anderson Cooper 360, and CBS Sunday Morning.
Barry Schwartz@BarrySch
Professor of Psychology at Swarthmore
What’s wrong with work?Our belief in the ideology that people are lazy, prefer not to work, and the only thing that gets them out of bed is a paycheck.
Insight #1
Insight #2
What do people want from work? They seek a level of ‘Flow’ where they are:
Insight #2
What do people want from work? They seek a level of ‘Flow’ where they are:
Always achieving great things
Insight #2
What do people want from work? They seek a level of ‘Flow’ where they are:
Being challenged to solve difficult problems
Insight #2
What do people want from work? They seek a level of ‘Flow’ where they are:
Engaged in work that matters
Insight #2
What do people want from work? They seek a level of ‘Flow’ where they are:
Always learning new things
Insight #2
What do people want from work? They seek a level of ‘Flow’ where they are:Making a positive difference in the world,
regardless of how small
Insight #3
It is the person who sees her work as a calling, who will find the greatest satisfaction, for she understands that passion is neither innate or discovered; it’s created to answer that calling.
Insight #4
When designing a modern compensation system, keep in mind that incentives are
often more destructive than they are helpful. Consider a system that:
Insight #4
When designing a modern compensation system, keep in mind that incentives are
often more destructive than they are helpful. Consider a system that:
Pays people well
Insight #4
When designing a modern compensation system, keep in mind that incentives are
often more destructive than they are helpful. Consider a system that:
Includes a profit sharing component that aligns corporate objectives with
individual goals
Insight #4
When designing a modern compensation system, keep in mind that incentives are
often more destructive than they are helpful. Consider a system that:
Aligning it with a higher purpose that demonstrates how your work improves lives
Insight #5
Want to make someone feel valued? Acknowledge their efforts and contribution.
Insight #6
“Your leadership legacy is often remembered less by what you do and more by how you
made those around you feel. Love and you’ll be loved; respect and you’ll infinitely be rewarded with the greatness in others.”
- Kip Tindell on Leadership
Insight #7
Jeffrey Pfeffer on what effective organizations do:
Insight #7
Jeffrey Pfeffer on what effective organizations do:
They provide a high degree of employment security, which builds
employee loyalty and trust
Insight #7
Jeffrey Pfeffer on what effective organizations do:
They rely on self-managed teams and decentralized decision making
Insight #7
Jeffrey Pfeffer on what effective organizations do:
They pay more than the market demands, which makes their employees feel valued
Insight #7
Jeffrey Pfeffer on what effective organizations do:
They provide extensive training,at the beginning and always
Insight #7
Jeffrey Pfeffer on what effective organizations do:
They measure employee performance, but they don’t overmeasure employee
performance, trusting that their employees will want to do the right by the company
Insight #7
Jeffrey Pfeffer on what effective organizations do:
They put great emphasis on the company mission and values
Insight #8
Companies who lose confidence that people have the will to do the right thing, and turn to incentives, discover
that they get what they pay for.
Insight #9
Without wisdom, brilliance isn’t enough. The single most important thing that you can do to improve your level of satisfaction is to lower your aspiration.
Opt not for best, and instead remember that good enough is often good enough.
Insight #10
Wise leaders who create the most inviting workplaces understand that:
Insight #10
Wise leaders who create the most inviting workplaces understand that:
By designing workplaces that permit people to do work they value, they will be designing
a human nature that values work; and
Insight #10
Wise leaders who create the most inviting workplaces understand that:
By designing workplaces that permit people to find meaning in their work, they will be
designing a human nature that values work.
Reflect - Do you work for the money or the satisfaction?
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Presentation created by Chase Jennings
Insights by Moe Abdou