Employee engagement thrives on love and gumption.
We need to put our hearts into our work and work into our hearts.
I don’t believe you simply just do what you love and the money will follow but if you don’t love what you do you will be contributing to your own disengagement. It is naive to believe that you will always love what you do but ensure that the majority of your time is devoted to work you love.
Remember that love is an art requiring actions not just a good feeling.
When we do what we love our work must offer value to others…otherwise it will probably just be a hobby.
Work towards having heartfelt and hearty work and don’t shy away from gumption. Erich Fromm reminds us in The Art of Loving that love is an art requiring discipline, concentration, and patience.
What is your level of (love) discipline, concentration, and patience at work?
Do your part, infuse your heart into your work.
Good post, David. Very important, though seldom expressed.
By any chance, did you catch the Golden Globes awards show on TV last night? One of the winners, Irish actor Colin Farrell, spoke about love in his acceptance speech.
Terry
Thanks Terry,
I think we often think of love as mushy touchy feely and it can be that but the art of love is discipline, concentration, and patience.
I didn’t see the show but I would have loved to have seen it.
David
Heart means managers coach their team and encourage optimal performance. This is the time to connect with and retain people, providing extras that keep them engaged and thriving on the job.
I just talked with a friend who reports to an executive who goes out of his way to demean and minimize his people. Bad move – only fools manage from their ego. In a contraction, people will stay. But when there’s an improvement in the economy they’ll leave in droves.
This same exec was so incensed by an employee’s request for a $3K raise, that he let 7 years of strong performance and IP walk out the door – and now will pay a new employee $20K more to fill the empty job – a training session in how to shoot yourself in the foot!
It’s a continuous challenge of getting lost in my work, yet being able to quickly divorce my ego or ideas or even results … when they need a good beating, or the business isn’t ready, or it’s time to switch gears.
While it helps to know the scoreboard, it’s important to focus one pitch at a time.
I’ve learned to find the joy in giving my best and I think that’s the real key.
Marsha.
Sounds like just show me the money not the “love.”
J.D.
Not much more you can do than give your best.
David