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The subtext of every article like this is "How to motivate people (without paying them more or giving them equity)." In many, perhaps most, situations, people
by nathan_compton 7y ago
The subtext of every article like this is "How to motivate people (without paying them more or giving them equity)."
In many, perhaps most, situations, people are working to build things they don't own. That is the context. Any other spin on the context is just manipulation.
This stuff might work on some people, but, as a regular employee, I'm most motivated by frankness from my bosses. Nothing turns me off faster than platitudes about the purpose of our work or why I should be motivated by it.
- nicoburns 7y agoI'm pretty motivated by context / explanantion of purpose. If I'm just given platitudes, that doesn't count. I want to know why we're really doing this (so agree on frankness), and if I don't like the answer, I probably won't be sticking around for long. To a point, this is more important to me than pay or equity.
- pbhjpbhj 7y agoSo, the boss is only a 100x-millionaire and really wants to own his own island before he's 30. Let's knuckle down and do it! Realism, surely isn't motivating in a capitalist society, you're working to make someone else richer in most jobs, someone else who is already rich.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- mitchdoogle 7y agoIsn't this article promoting exactly what you say, "frankness from your bosses"? "Meaningful context is built through hot messages: high-resolution information where nothing is left unsaid, the meaning is clear and the guesswork is reduced to a minimum."
- jariel 7y ago" people are working to build things they don't own. That is the context. Any other spin on the context is just manipulation." This is overly cynical. People are getting paid a salary to do something - that salary is usually paid wether or not the work actually gets done, whether the thing actually works, wether the thing actually makes money. Money in the bank is worth 10x some magical payout at a future date. New projects of any kind are exceedingly risky, and that's the ugliness that comes with ownership, it's also why the vast, vast majority of people wouldn't trade their salaries for big chunks of equity. Most people are professionals at heart, take pride in what they do, and want to do a good job. It helps them to know what they are working on and it gives meaning to the work. It's universally good advice in any king of org.