“Industrialization has been a spectacular human achievement. But as it has relieved material poverty, it has done so at the price of poverty of spirit.”
“Perhaps this was a necessary price to pay at earlier stages of economic development. But that is no longer the case. When it comes to the transformation of the human workplace, there is really no time like the present.”
–Why We Work by Barry Schwartz
PARADIGM SHIFT
Changing the Expression of Human Nature
Can human nature be altered?
More specifically, can you change your own nature?
That is the question that is tackled by Barry Schwartz in the little book Why We Work.
He proposes that human nature, when offered a choice, prefers to work. We as humans want to do something important, that improves the lives of those around us, and that challenges us to become better versions of ourselves.
But here’s the problem.
In the name of economic efficiency, our workplaces have been more and more refined to a hyper niche division of labor. Instead of exercising the kind of autonomy and creativity that we once had on the farms or in the trades, we have sacrificed part of what makes us human in exchange for security in the form of a regular paycheck.
In the process, we’ve designed many workplaces where the only reason people show up every day is the paycheck. By and large, many are no longer inspired to work simply out of interest, care and passion for what they do. The workplace design has changed the expression of our human nature.
Here’s the incredible and excellent news: the world has largely been lifted out of abject poverty. But now we turn our eyes to the spirit. Have we gained the whole world and lost our souls?
A 2022 survey by UKG discovered that 46% of American workers would not want anyone they cared about to have to endure their own personal job, and 38% wouldn’t even wish it on their worst enemies.
Here’s the question.
Are you part of the almost 50% of Americans who can’t wait to leave their jobs?
I am in process of designing a course specifically aimed at helping individuals redesign their lives with the flexibility to choose. Choice will be put back into your hands. Everything from how you work to how you play.
In the meantime, consider this.
While we all have to earn money, we will end up making more in the long-run if we focus on these three things: 1) the purpose behind our work, 2) the integrity with which we do that work and 3) the experiential knowledge we can gain from that work.
The first two points will inspire us to go above and beyond, regardless of the presence or absence of financial incentives. And the third is a revolving door of opportunity to eventually apply our unique store of knowledge to our next role, eventually leading to our entrepreneurial endeavors!