The spirit of giving, the spirit of Christ

What are you thankful for?

What are you thankful for?

Motivating Forces

Last week in class we talked about what really motivates us. Sometimes we talk about fear, hope, rewards (MONEY!, anyone?), titles and recognition, etc. as being great motivators.

The genius of the discussion was when we talked about how we motivate others. But I realize the real motivation must come from inside. Self-motivate people are, after all, the easiest ones to lead. You just share the vision and they get to work.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Maslow. He established the commonly-studied hierarchy of human needs.



We first need to meet our physical needs, then establish safety, then our social needs (belonging), then ego/esteem needs (self-respect, accomplishment) and self-actualization (explain what this is).

But what I never realized was how this directly applies to (and was created to explain) motivation factors.

We are most motivated by the needs that are NOT being met.

For example: Have you ever noticed the lengths impoverished people go to get food? Digging in the garbage can, disease or danger mean almost nothing to them. Safety definitely does not come first.

Or, say you take a poor, newlywed college-student couple and offer the Mr. or Mrs. two jobs: one offers great environment and great people, the other pays $50/hr (pays rent and buys food). Which one do you think they might choose? (Which is the need the least met?)

They’d probably choose the money for food.

But if you take a middle-aged man who has a family, a nice house, enough money in his reserve bank, what will motivate him? More money? Or safety? Or would it be more along the lines of an opportunity to accomplish something great and work with awesome people? He probably isn't as motivated by the money or safety (which are already established) as he would be the opportunity to achieve something great.

Are you catching my drift?

Maslow taught that human beings are motivated most by the needs that are not being met.

What are some of the things that motivate you? Does this same trend hold true for you?

HOPE

The other day I was reading the news when I saw a title that caught my eye: "Woman falls into path of oncoming train." My curiosity piqued, I watched--and was mesmerized.

I thought it was a nice story, and it was nice to find it in the headlines of CNN. A coincidence, right?

Of course, I think not. They're headlining miracles! The liberal news source is headlining miracles. But not just any miracles. They're headlining Good Samaritan miracles. Did you see the other passengers save her life? And they didn't do it for a reward. They didn't do it to be seen or to have the pride. I mean, they were just acting instinctively. Just look at them frantically waving their arms!

I had the warm fuzzies but didn't think too much of it until I was watching French news (direct from France) when I saw it in their headlines. They spent a good minute or two showing the video and highlighting the results. And the woman was drunk. And we don't even know her name.

Last time I checked, the only thing I saw on the local news from another country was the announcement that there was another conflict in the Middle East--but in order to hit international news, it's got to be a big event. Our local coverage of the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall was just about as long as France's coverage is this woman's narrow escape from death. (It was Monday, by the way, and it changed the world 20 years ago, just in case you didn't notice.)

Why do we show these good stories? And how did that story make it to primetime news in all the way to France?

What is it that makes us--as a society--shun goodness in our news stories but seek desperately to flash it across our TV screens?

Is it a hint at something more? Like maybe the divine nature we each possess? We outwardly oppose virtue but find it a coincidence that some complete strangers saved a drunk woman's life?

I don't know about you, but I know there's something more that CNN won't find a report on anywhere. And that is the goodness of human beings. And it's not just cuz our mothers told us so, but because there's something more to our existence, to our being. As God's literal children, we're something more on the inside than the news will ever be able to help us understand.

Collaboration: Celebrate Success

Here's a thought for today:

"There is no room for 'territoriality.' Who cares if you share the secrets of the trade? It is a gift that makes the world better! A secret recipe taken to the grave is a pity as it is only enjoyed by a select few and then lost!"

And in true collaborative form, I share the source of this wisdom: Kriss Jacobson, faculty adviser on campus.

I heard those words and knew there was a blog post just for you.

So what do you think about?

In class a few weeks ago, we talked about collaboration. Back in the 19080's, Ford wanted to revolutionize the world. They sat down with designers, engineers, manufacturers, assembly line workers, housewives, and a whole bunch of other people to design a new car.

The engineers questioned the validity of the housewives' comments. Who wouldn't? Housewives don't make cars. BUT they drive them.

In the end, all pride aside, they came out with the Taurus that revolutionized their company and the auto industry. It was a top seller for many years.

Beethoven, the movie, anyone? 7th Heaven?

(Thanks to wikicars.org for their courtesy image. It's all about sharing the success, right?)

So I got to thinking.

In the business world, it's all about competition, right? Sharing ideas sounds like Zion, and that's something we do at Church, right? Rightly so. Collaboration, delegation, sharing ideas--it's all based on true principle. No wonder it's what makes true companies succeed. Truth in all its forms has a way of doing that, you know.

Sister Jacobson also said, "Pull in the experts. Don't try to do something you are not experienced in. Give it to someone who can do it easier and better because they do it all the time."

If someone steals your idea, shouldn't the success of your idea be what makes you happy?

Or are we too set on being the ones to do the work (no matter how hard the task) that matters most? Or do we really, truly find success in seeing someone else make our ideas thrive (stronger than we could have), or are we stuck on being the ones with all the credit?

What do you think? And how would you respond? Or are your responses different? What's the right thing to do?

Collaboration in all its forms requires honesty and humility, but that's what life is all about: helping each other find success an return to our Heavenly Home. We can't do it alone. So why do we try so hard to do it on our own?

Share with me your thoughts. Do you see the beauty of collaboration? How have you seen it in your life? How do we overcome that natural tendency to do it all and let the glory belong to someone else?*

* (Sounds like two plans we heard long ago, huh. Click here: Moses 4:2 There are some interesting connections and implications in our life. What connections do you see?)

Please Excuse

To whom it may concern in the blogging world:

Please excuse my creative genius for being absent from the blogging world the past two weeks. He was busy taking care of other homework and college events.

Sincerely,

The Faithful Blogger.

Inevitable Change

It seems that CHANGE is occupying my thoughts a lot, lately. But here is a nice chart that explains one of the ways we change in our life.

We start (X) sometimes learning a new skill. It's not the best technique, and we don't do it well, but nevertheless, we begin. Maybe we can compare it to learning how to play the piano. We get pretty good at it eventually (moving into the next quadrant). And then someone comes along to tell us our form/technique/whatever is not correct. So, we try to learn the correct technique. And, well, you just can't play the right way as well as you could the wrong way. Right?

However, we eventually make it to playing well and correctly. Mozart would be proud.

The same thing could apply to using a PC at first to using a MAC second (though I don't dispute that one is better than the other). You work your way up to being pretty good at using your PC, and then you get a MAC and have no idea how the little box is supposed to work. But you learn and grow and become MAC proficient.

It's all about moving from one level of comfort to the next level of discomfort--in order to grow.

Change is all about being stretched and rolled out. Seriously, sugar cookies taste much better when they're rolled out. And to get it right, you're going to have to roll it up in a ball and then flatten the dough again.

And bread always tasted better after being smooshed and punched so the gasses could make it grow from the inside. That's the way it's supposed to be.

But if we stay in our little square of comfort, we'll never advance to the next and, quite frankly, we'll be stuck there for a long time, missing out on some of the good and new adventures in life, right? You've got to go outside the comfort zone and experience change. Change makes us better. It's the same way in an organization, too (which is my sneak peak at my next post, by the way).

So how have you been forced to change (or stretched, or rolled out or scribbled like a pen*)? And how did you see yourself grow?

Or did you think you were chocolate chip cookie dough (that only has to be plopped on the cooking sheet) only to find out you were supposed to be the bread that started a feast?

And in what ways did the Lord use you to further His work? Or was it just to help you learn and grow, to prepare you for something great in the years to come?

Let me know how you've been molded and shaped and changed by the Lord into the new creature He wants you to be.


* The pen is another sneak peak at a future post on doing the Lord's will. It might find itself in the post on the change that must take place in our hearts.

Brain Theory

Today we talked about something that I love talking about: Change.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Change is hard. I know. It means growing and stretching. And growing means growing PAINS! But growth means progression. And that is good. Of course, that's what this life--and the Gospel--are all about.

Actually, we talked about Brain Theory, but that deals with change.

Brain Theory is based off two hypotheses:

1) It's the idea that parts of the brain can replicate itself and
2) The idea that the brain works in two ways: simple loop and double loop.

Let me explain.


1) It's the idea that in an organization, you need to have different people who can perform different functions. It means you have backups in case someone gets sick. It means that your company won't die if the boss goes out of town. (It also means you choose more than one person to do payroll so everyone gets paid--okay, just an example.)That way, if someone gets sick, you can still function. And that person can eventually take a break. It's the idea that your company is not going to die without you.


2) It's based on the idea that the brain thinks in two ways: Single Loop and Double Loop.

Single Loop measures everything in norms. It's like a lizard that sits on a rock. For example:

a) The lizard is sitting on the rock
b) It notices that it is too hot (it's not the "norm")
c) It gets off the rock

Thermostats work like that, too. You set it to a nice temperature and it measures the actual temperature to the preferred temperature. If it's too hot, the air conditioner turns on. If it's too cold, the heater turns on. Easy, right?

But what about on weekends? Or holidays? The thermostat doesn't know when the school is closed. So, it will continue to heat the classrooms all the way through the break--unless someone tells it otherwise.

But in an organization, we can be smarter than thermostats. (Of course we can. Nod with me, people.)

So Double Loop suggests that things are not only measured against the norms but also against "outside norms." If thermostats could think, it would be equivalent to them being able to recognize that school is closed for Christmas break. And it would measure itself against the holiday schedule (B1) and give that input back into the simple loop. That affects how it works. Which leads us to HOW Brain Theory is all about change. Are you following?

Brain theory means that we change against the norms, but it also means we recognize potential outside norms and consider them, as well. It means we look at potentials and say, "What are we missing? how can we overcome the status quo?"

In essence, Brain Theory is about finding new ways to be more productive. It's about finding people in your organization who can give you great ideas and help your company grow.

So when your company has been growing for ten years and there's suddenly a new competition in town, brain theory is what helps you go from the way you were to being even better, thus ensuring your company stays on top--despite the new competition that moved in.

And the laws of nature continue. Survival of the fittest at its best. All because parts of an organization can change, adapt to new surroundings, and consider new norms. Plus the idea that you've left some wiggle room--just in case the "brains" the operation get sick and can't come to work.

And now I feel the cycle going in my head. I better jump off before it becomes too confusing.

Did you know the brain can still function even if part of it is damaged? That's the beauty of all this.

Pocketful of Change

I was talking with some friends a few weeks ago about change, when I realized how important and beneficial change is. It's hard, keeps us on our toes, but it encourages growth and makes space in our lives for that growth to occur.

It is the only constant in life these days.

My friend David had just given a talk and wrote these thoughts on his blog. You might like it if you want to think about change and how it affects your life.

With his permission, I share this link. Click here for his thoughts: Adjusting to Change.

the FACT of the matter: theories rule

I had a new lens opened the other day. And it proved that open-mindedness is necessary. In Gospel terms, we all that: humility. In relationship terms, we might call that: Seeking to understand the other person's point of view. In science terms, a theory is the way we explain the reason behind events, but we call it theory until we can prove that it is 100% right.

In class, we learned that "theories" are ways of looking at things, events, and people. In other words, a theory is a lens that provides practical ways of looking at something.

In reality, theories help us understand the world, people and things in it.

*** But...before I get to far, let me quickly explain that empirical truth (what we perceive in the world) must always give way to Eternal Truth (truth with a capital "T"), such as who are we? Where do we come from? And what is the purpose of life?" ***

Metaphors, like theories, help us understand ideas and concepts, too.

So we've begun talking about theories of organization. We use metaphors to help us see how companies run.

We talked today about Classical Theory. Classical Theory looks at an organization as a machine. It all began when Frederick the Great thought his army tried to apply mechanical characteristics to his army.

He thought an army should be powerful, efficient and exactly obedient to the one in charge. Do you see his connection to machinery now?

He drilled unquestioning obedience into his men, dividing them in groups and giving each one a different job. His spear-throwers perfected their spear throwing, and his archers perfected their art. The archers couldn't throw spears, and they never would. That wasn't part of the machine.

Enter replaceable parts: If an archer was killed, there was always another to take his place. The soldiers' lives revolved around their one task. Their army rocked. Morale was not high, but he ruled out of fear, leaving a clearly organized chain of command. No one made decisions except that man on top.

Kind of stifling, don't you think? Maybe it's not your organizational strategy of choice.

Fast food is an example of that machine. It's predictable, efficient, and you don't pay too much to get a meal. Of course, there's also lack of creativity and poor morale. (When was the last time you ever had a root beer float at Mickey Dee's? They don't have a button on the cash register for that.)

Looking at it further: the assembly line includes the burger flipper, bun preparer, milk shake maker, fry fryer, etc. It's a well-greased (excuse the pun) machine.

So I guess classical theory isn't that bad. It's got its advantages, too. It's establishes a clear-set chain of command, efficient use of resources, and urges perfection of skills and talents. It promotes uniformity and goals. But it stifles creativity, agency, and one's ability to think and act for him/herself.

Then there's Humanistic Theory: Employees (people) come first.

It's based off the Hawthorne Principle: When employees are observed, their productivity increases.

Google might say: happy people are productive people.

Humanistic Theory says that people need to know what is expected of them, but they also need to be motivated to go above and beyond the baseline expectations of their job. humanistic theory encourages people to think and act and actually enjoy their job.

Here's a great example: some kid in the mail room of a freight company found a new way to decrease company expenditures. Applied to the whole company, it saved more than $9 million that year. Not bad, eh?

This is my favorite part: the executives decided to give the kid 10% That's almost $1 million for one simple idea. But the company could afford that. After all, they weren't losing anything by paying him. They still had 90% of their savings.

And here's where the genius steps in. What do you think the people in that company are going to do now? Well, I bet they'll probably try to find some easy way to earn $1 million by doing their job everyday. Productivity in that company is on the rise.

Humanistic theory, in all reality, is about seeing people as people and treating them as the valuable individuals that they are. It's about encouraging creativity. It's what makes companies so successful, because those in the trenches give their ideas and perspectives and help the company earn more money than ever before.

But it is sure going to be hard when that boss who is a great friend has to chastise an employee or when playing at work takes over one's commitment to performing the job.

Both are good theories.

Both can be explained by Gospel principles, like loving your neighbor as yourself, about treating them as valuable individuals by knowing their names, important facts about them like birthdays or other events in their life. Yet, at the same time, it's about being organized, efficiently using your time and perfecting your talents to serve others as we go about our time on earth.

So which theory do you tend to prefer? Is there one you tend to live more than another? Or is there one you find better? Which theory seems to work better in the world? And which one would you use if you could describe your dream organization? I want to hear your thoughts.

**We can't focus too closely. We have to be open minded.

Comm 250

I went to my first day of classes completely unsure if I'd graduate or not this semester, not knowing if I'd be attending a class I'd eventually drop. Frankly, I was flying by the seat of my pants.

But I went to Comm 250: Intro to Organization Communication.

It seemed nice, not too intimidating, and my friend Michael was in the class. It was bearable. But dependent on so many things.

And I came out a winner.

In class, our professor told us how easy it was to be proactive, how easy it would be to do the assignments. He even said, "You are adults. All assignments are negotiable!"

I started cheering inside.

And then he shared with us the most important thing of all: this assignment.

He said, "I want you to 'continue the conversation' outside of class." It seemed easy enough. He continued. "I want you to find ways to use the new forms of media to share what you think and feel. And I want you to post your thoughts on other students' blogs, tweet your thoughts on Twitter..." The sky is the limit, and I knew this would be fun.

But the thing that stuck out to me was something Elder Scott taught him in a stake conference address last year. He said:

Is ti better to be a pipe or a jug?

What do you think? Think philosophically. Why?

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Well, Elder Scott said: "A jug is good. But a pipe is better."

In essence, a pipe allows information to be transmitted from one source to another. While a jug can carry things (and yes, I know it can be used to transport stuff), he said it is better to be a pipe that connects to others and shares what we learn.

He promised, as an Apostle : "If you commit to the Lord each day to share the insights you receive, you will learn more."

I've heard it before, but suddenly my desire to share became more intense. More real.

For some time I've been thinking about turning my blog into a sharing post. And I will. But for now, I'm using this blog for my class and as a place to post my thoughts--until I get around to changing my personal blog.

So share your thoughts. What do you think? How have you seen this promise fulfilled in your life? And why do you think it is true? Does it change the way you think, act or feel?

Post your thoughts. Really. Even if you don't know me. I want to learn from you. Besides (and let's be honest), if you're blog stalking me, chances are I've blog-stalked you. Right? So let's just open up that communication and be honest and start sharing with each other. Deal?

Until then...I'll be thinking about what to share on my next post...like what we learned today. I promise, it is going to be good!