Back to Motivation in the Workplace

Part 3 - Work Environment Notes

The Status Quo is a Job Killer

Today's education system teaches students to accept the status quo and some employers wants employees to accept the status quo, that is, follow orders without input. With today's fast changing trends, the status quo is fast becoming deadly for students, employees and society. For example; the skill of computer technicians would have no value if they sat back and accepted the status quo, in fact, in their world, there is no such thing as status quo. The knowledge they have today will be obsolete three years from now. Knowledge is already obsolete for computer instructors, because classroom education cannot keep up with changes taking place. In the computer world, technicians must be able to educate themselves without instructors. They must know how to learn in natural learning environments. This "need to know NOW" is spreading to other professions and the people who adapt will be the winners.

Social prejudice kills MOTIVATION!
In the Classroom, in the Workplace, and in Society

Students do not drop out of high school because they can't learn; they drop out because of social prejudice in the classroom. The classroom is a teacher and promoter of social prejudice. The system uses students' natural talent as a friend or foe, intellectual versus non-intellectual. Non-intellectuals are labeled non-achievers who have low ambitions, because they do not perform academically like intellectuals. This prejudice is carried from the classroom to the workplace.

Social Prejudice and Self-fulfilling Prophecy
Social prejudice believes other people are less capable than us. If we are managers and we think other people are less capable, then we will establish a management policy that reflects that belief. Through employee turnover and self-fulfilling prophecy, our opinion will be proven right.
Technical Schools & Natural Talent
When employers hire from technical schools, what do they get, intellectual talent or technical talent? What does the employer want, intellectual skills or technical skills? To enter technical schools, students must achieve academic skills before they are allowed to develop technical skills. People who have natural intellectual talent are accepted, people who have natural technical talent are rejected.

My experience as a machinist, hard-hat diver, and boat captain.

The below articles give some insight to the concepts in my websites. I worked in abusive environments during my early twenties, then during my thirties through fifties in a highly motivated worker responsibility environment, then in my early sixties in abusive command-and-control. Efficiency between leadership styles is dramatic.

From Worker Responsibility to Command-and-control Leadership
This article compares my 25 years experiences with worker responsibility at the Panama Canal Company, Panama. Then, after retirement, my experience with abusive leadership environments in Guam. These dramatic experiences motivated me to research leadership styles and alternative education methods.
 
Working On The Panama Canal
Coworkers were the friendliest I have ever met. They introduced themselves and told me what they were doing. Some suggested I come and work with their team. They asked the supervisor and he said "no." Being fought over on the first day boosted my ego and established my attitude towards coworkers and the company.