Comments

You are right. One of the things that made me finally realise I had to finally get out of the corporate world of the NHS came when I got ‘ticked off’ – albeit nicely - by my boss who was in his early to mid-thirties. He said my 58 year old colleague and me (52) were laughing too much. There is a long way to go Tom – we could make a start by banning ties and suits.

Interesting to muse you are 64 and Sir Richard is coming up to 57. So why do the ‘youngsters’ not want to be different from the crowd? Is there any hope?

Posted by Trevor Gay at May 18, 2007 11:28 AM

I love this post: everyone, all over the world, says that "it's all about people".
This post goes in the same direction showing 'motivation' from another perspective.
Thanks,
PierG
http://pierg.wordpress.com

Posted by PierG at May 18, 2007 11:46 AM

Damn straight!
I have what appears to be the worst Mgmt position in my company (according to everyone who runs into me at meetings)...that is, running Consumer Affairs for North America. Sure, we got bitchy consumers and retailers and manufactures...but bring it on! There aint a problem that can't be fixed. You’re going to sue my company and me? I bet I solve it before it sees a courtroom. You think you need my CEO to solve this? Tell me and I'll save you the time.
Perception is reality...you think you suck- you do. You think what you do sucks- it does. If you think you work for idiots- you do.
Nobody dies when I make an ill-conceived decision...(learned that when I was a young goof sitting in the front row of some seminar in Orlando…heard some guy names “Tom Peters.” Heeeeeee’s baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Posted by Scott Swift at May 18, 2007 2:34 PM

The "youngsters" (and I am one of them) are too busy chasing the $$'s to do something fun. Hell, if I can't create some cool web 2.0 thing to sell to Google and become a centi-millionaire by 30 I'm pretty much screwed.

I wonder why, according to BusinessWeek, Private Equity is the #1 sought after career by current MBA's...and just a few years ago it was hedge funds...and before that, I-banking...fooolllloooowwww the mmmmmooonnneeeeyyyy!!! If scooping poop was the highest paying job in the nation tomorrow, I betcha every MBA and business undergrad in the nation would be after it.

I got nothing against being rich--I hope I get filthy rich. But it sure bugs the heck out of me to see classmates next to me who have no business being there b/c they don't give a ---- about the actual experience (they don't have the LOVE), just the salary.

Posted by Paul at May 18, 2007 8:20 PM

Fabulous comments Paul – thank you so much for that. It is wonderful and reassuring to know money is not the prime motivation among younger folks. You will go far my friend - you have your priorities right. Love of what you do must always be our prime driver. As a pragmatist/realist I too want to make enough money to live comfortably but I ALWAYS want to LOVE what I am doing more. I would much rather be loving my work and comfortable financially than stinking rich and dreading getting up to go to work every day.

Posted by Trevor Gay at May 19, 2007 6:43 AM

Bravo Tom!

Well said. The best "boss" I've ever had was my senior partner. He never had a single conversation with me that did not, at some point, include the question "are you having fun?" Dead serious about the fun factor to the point that this gifted fellow would ask during board discussions about potential acquisitions or startups "what's the fun factor?" In my experience this "test" only works 100% of the time. If it ain't fun it ain't worth the resources. Life is too long.

Posted by Dave Martin at May 19, 2007 9:53 PM

I could not agree more.

You're also waaaaaaay more productive, when you like what you do Here's why:

http://positivesharing.com/2007/03/top-10-reasons-why-happiness-at-work-is-the-ultimate-productivity-booster/

Posted by Alexander Kjerulf at May 21, 2007 5:16 AM

amen to that.

Posted by rachel at May 21, 2007 9:07 AM