So Rick and I were talking about passion for your work. Do you love what you do? How badly would you want to change to actively go out and find a better alternative to the job the current have (and maybe hate)?
So here’s a quick straw poll - what percentages do you think define the marketplace:
- % of people that love what they do?
- % of people that would love to love their work?
- % of people that would rather put forth a mediocre performance at a job they don’t really like than work harder to find something they love?
My guess based on discussions is:
- ~ 10%. I think this is largely public services oriented professionals, that have chosen to make a career serving others (teachers, librarians, social workers), and is probably true of a smattering of others.
- 30-50%. I think that “love your work” gets a lot of lip service, but probably isn’t as big a motivation to changing one’s work life as a layoff, relocation, death/ marriage/ birth of a child. I think that for most, professional changes are the result of major life events, or a bigger brass ring, rather than driven by passion. Naturally, this potentially changes when one retires from their career, and considers a more giving-back second career.
- < 20%. I think Rick would argue a higher percentage, but I’m hoping that inertia and apathy don’t take a bigger bite than 1-in-5. Can you imagine a 2-in-5 ratio, where most meetings you go into have a 40% apathy rate, and folks would rather be home watching tv? Yikes.
Interested in your thoughts and logic.
5 responses so far ↓
Amy // Dec 11, 2007 at 9:12 am
I think your first two numbers are spot on (or maybe a tiny bit optimistic). I definitely think #3 is too optimistic. In my experience in corporate America, more than 2-in-5 people really would be home watching TV than in the meetings. That’s partly why meetings are so broken.
Amy // Dec 11, 2007 at 9:13 am
Really would *rather*, that is.
Toby Lucich // Dec 11, 2007 at 9:34 am
So better than 40% of people that I have contact with in a business setting would rather be at home, drooling on their slippers?
That is a bit disconcerting. I agree that most meetings miss their point.
Amy // Dec 11, 2007 at 9:57 am
I dunno about the drooling part, but I think most people view work the way they always viewed school: “It’s, eh, ok [OR totally lame]. There are about a million other things I’d much rather be doing. ”
Most people I’ve met just simply aren’t committed to being awesome at anything, or if they are, it’s not work.
I’ve never personally been employed in a large company, but as a consultant I come in contact with them a lot, working on-site, becoming part of the teams. My other type of clients are tiny little startups. The mix of people who care/people who’d rather be watching Everybody Loves Raymond is much worse in the big companies.
TheOfficeNewb // Dec 31, 2007 at 11:19 am
Amy–I think your comment about people not being committed to being awesome at anything is spot on.
As a supervisor who works a lot with new employees I’m always shocked and a little horrified at how little pride people take in their work.
My work isn’t especially glamorous. My co-workers and I often joke about how we’re just well-paid key-punch monkies but I still have enough respect for myself and for the people that use my company’s product that I put in 100% (or at least 85% if I’m in a bad mood) every day of the week.
Mark Sanborn wrote an interesting book called The Fred Factor> that specifically addresses the passion (or lack thereof) that people have toward their work.
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