Fulfilling work means undertaking something that complies with individual passion, capacities, and values, implying an individuals have to enjoy working in an organization. Unfortunately, many people find themselves dissatisfied with the work they do leading to poor results and underperformance. Many managers are unaware of the ways in which an employee could be motivated to achieve high results and the author suggests six ways that individuals and top executives could employ in satisfying the employees’ egos in a work environment. These include accepting confusion, avoiding pigeonholing, aiming wider achievements rather than targeting higher achievements, striking a balance between values and talents, acting first and reflecting later, and finally approaching the work with a different mentality by considering it a life-long experiment.
Additionally, the author is of the view that leisure has a role to play since it helps an employee in coping with the stressful life. The modern life is full of challenges and many organizations should consider involving leisure in their stress management strategies. Each person goes through several changes that shape his or her life and the management has to provide some free time to pave way for personal enjoyment, because this refreshes the mind. On money, the writer notes that it plays a critical role in motivating employees to realize organizational goals and objectives.
However, the author underscores the fact that money is not the main incentive, but it serves a great purpose in encouraging workers to produce the best results. Finally, security is a factor to consider in the sense that it makes employees comfortable when undertaking their duties. Job security and the safety of the workers help in realizing high results. If an employee notes that his or her job is secure, chances are high that he or she will perform organizational tasks without much worry. Apart from this, the work environment has to be safe, because no employee would be willing to risk his or her life to operate in a dangerous place.
The notion that Fredrick Taylor is alive and living in corporate America is true, because organizations are implementing his principles. Many managers support the idea that they have to develop the best method of dealing with subordinates, irrespective of whether the technique is consistent with the wishes and desires of workers or not. In this regard, the rule of thumb method has to be replaced by a more scientific method that observes the policy of subordination, whereby senior managers are in charge of policy, while the role of workers is simply to follow orders. Unlike the current theories, suggesting that any employee can deliver the best result if given the chance, resources, and adequate time, Taylor suggested that highly qualified workers have to be hired, meaning that the policy of meritocracy has to be followed carefully.
In the modern organizational theory, workers are given room to learn the new ways of accomplishing organizational tasks, but Taylor opposed this notion. Similarly, many organizations are reluctant to adopt the new systems, but instead rely on the classical methods since they are effective. Taylor suggested that the organization has to ensure employees and managers work together as a team and this can only be achieved through promotion of cooperation.
However, the scientific methods of management should not be compromised, since each employee should understand his or her position and deliver the task based on the job description. Finally, the idea of division of work and specialization, as suggested by Taylor, is followed in each organization, including the government. The organization employs an individuals based on their qualifications and the duties and responsibilities are clearly defined to prevent any form of confusion. It is believed that specialization allows mastering of the task leading to the development of knowledge, which results in competence and high efficiency.
Ciulla (2009) is of the view that many people have allowed the work life to take over most of their activities to an extent that leisure and family life is no longer considered important. In this regard, the scholar blames technology on this and goes on to observe that it is supposed to help people connect with their loved ones, but the role it is playing currently is unsupportive of family life. Many individuals are concerned with fulfilling their selfish interests instead of working for the community and improving self-image.
The author underscores the fact that previously workers shared a close link with their employers and a sense of mutual loyalty was present, but currently, people work extremely hard for the organization that can fire them any time. Based on this, the writer wonders whether an employee will still be willing to work hard for the organization if he or she falls sick. Additionally, he questions the current trend whereby people want to identify themselves with the work they do instead of focusing on other important things, such as communal positions. He concludes by observing that employees and their bosses have nothing to promise each other in the modern work environment, which is consistent with the chaos theory of management.
Reference
Ciulla, J. B. (2000). The working life: The promise and betrayal of modern work. New York: Three Rivers Press. Web.