What Is the Best Mindset to Bring to Work
May 17th, 2010 | Bob Rosner
Last time I discussed the top “mindsets” that we bring to work. For those of you who like things defined, here goes—mindset is “a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations.”
Most of us bring some “habits” to work on a regular basis. After doing a lot of interviews and research, I came up with five. What I like to call the 5 M’s. Machine, military, motivation, measurement and entrepreneurship (okay, that’s not an “M” word. I put it in because that is one of the problems with mindsets, they tend to lock us in to a limited way of viewing the world).
According to your votes, the mindset that you most often bring to work is machine. 35% of you chose it. Next was military with 27%. Followed by motivation, the choice of 17%. Measurement, 15%, and entrepreneurship at 6%.
Each of these mindsets served a purpose at one time. The problem is that they tend to live on long past the point they continue to provide value. Take the top response, machine. A smooth running machine is a very effective way to run a business. The problem? Machines don’t do so well when it comes to creativity and initiative. And those are two things that most businesses can’t do without today.
In addition, all of the mindsets share two basic problems. First, they tend to struggle when it comes to handling complexity. A new competitor, a worker shortage or a lawsuit against your company aren’t things that any of the 5 Ms can really cope with. The problem is that today’s workplace is all about complexity.
But there is an even bigger problem—control. All of these mindsets do best when there is a heavy hand running the show. And that heavy hand may have helped 60 years ago to make the trains run on time, but today many businesses are starting to realize that the brains of their people are a terrible thing to waste. So rather than trying to produce a certain result from people, more organizations are realizing they have to create a place where the best efforts can flow out of people.
So we need to develop a new mindset, one that gives more control to the people who actually do the work. Not for some soft headed share the wealth idea, but because organizations need to extract everything they can from their people’s hands, heads and hearts (okay, that will be the last bit of alliteration for this column).
Ultimately I’m not going to try to sell you on exactly what new mindset to adopt. My point is simply that we need to become more aware of the mindset we bring to work each day. And not forget the creativity and control as we go along our journey at work. Just realizing this should help us all to better navigate our workday more successfully.
QUOTE.
“No more good can be attempted than the people can bear.” Thomas Jefferson
About the Author: Bob Rosner is a best-selling author and award-winning journalist. For free job and work advice, check out the award-winning workplace911.com. You can also hear workplace911 on BlogTalkRadio weekly. If you have a question for Bob, contact him via bob@workplace911.com.
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Tags: Bob Rosner, businesses, management, workplace habits, workplace issues, workplace mindset
May 18th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Bob:
I find your articles interesting, alliteration not withstanding.
But the best mindset to bring to the job is that is not work.
Find something you like to do, and then you never work a day in your life. Not original I know. But or so true.
I love running my companies. I like being in charge. I thrive on problem solving and decision making. It is like playing poker. The point is not to win. It is to make correct decisions. If you make correct decisions you win ultimately.
Is it perfect, no. But I enjoy getting up every morning and going to work.
I am originally a CPA by trade. I love doing complex bank reconciliations. I get a thrill out of spending a week creating the perfect balance sheet.
I am never bored with my work. I never stop learning and striving to do it better. I go to school every year and usually every day. I get better at my job. It is good for me, my employees and my company.
That is the mindset to have. If you don’t have it where you are find it someplace else. Life is way to short to spend 2000 hours a year doing things you don’t want to do.
Charles
May 19th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
I would actually agree with you here that the ideal mentality to have is to strive for a career, or a job, that doesn’t necessarily ‘feel’ like work.
Unfortunately, many of us – no, most of us cannot say that. Most of us have to take jobs that we don’t like, that most certainly feels like ‘work’, to pay the bills.
There are a lot of factors that are attributed to this – economic strains (national or personal) not withstanding – but I would argue a significant portion of this can be attributed to most people not receiving adequate education. Schools today do not focus on students as much as they do standards.
That is to say, we expect our workforce to enter high school at the age of (on average) 14, graduate in just four-years’ time with the expectations that these young-adults know, or at least have a clue as to what it is they want to do (what they’re passionate about) with the rest of their lives – and enter college to pursuit it. Its no wonder something like 70% of undergraduates change their major at least once. Clearly this isn’t enough time to develop mature passions.
Though, not just to be a contrarian, I would question the values you deem desirable, Charles. Well, maybe not question, but perhaps suggest that there is something more than some of the qualities you say you like. I mean, no one likes losing, for example… Though the other enjoyments you receive make my point – education is a long process, not something you can package in 4-year stretches.
May 25th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Darek:
An extremely important point you make.
First how can you expect a young person of 21 with a new college degree to know how to know what they like let alone how to find it?
I was lucky to have spent four years in the military and a couple of more years working between high school and college. I was also married and had a family. By the time I went to college I knew a lot of things I did not want to do, having tried many of them.
A year back packing in Europe. A year or two as a volunteer. Two years in the military. A year or two doing something either after high school or after a sophomore year of college would do wonders in helping young people have a better idea of the real world.
But beyond that they need to know that there is someone willing to pay them for their passion, or they can start a company with their passion and make a good living. One of the things that make this country great is that. No one is pigeon holed forever. You start the rest of your life every morning. Sure there is risk. But with the risk comes the chances for a life time of fun and good living.
Charles