Behind the Scenes | Thoughts under the Sun
Well, as they say, “think like an oligarch, live like a pensioner” is a good approach if you want to build a comfortable life for yourself, with such a life philosophy you manage to earn money.
Many people think that the more you work, the more results you will get. But it happens that these results are just bags under the eyes and chronic fatigue, and it is not clear when success will finally come.
I call this “Alexander the Great syndrome.” As a businessman, he had everything, but he spent his life “ going to India.” I don’t know if he was motivated by a desire for greatness or a desire to go down in history, but he definitely succeeded in the latter.
And so, we, too, in our “campaign to India” sometimes forget. We postpone our life for later. We achieve what we want and move on, forgetting about the main thing. And the main thing is that time is getting less and less.
One day, Alexander the Great passed by Diogenes. I knew him, I wanted to help him.
“What do you want from me?” Alexander asked.
“Stand aside and don’t block the sun for me,” Diogenes replied.
I don’t know if Alexander became more enlightened after that, or what else they talked about. But the bottom line is that sometimes you can go to your “India”, and sometimes it’s better just to enjoy the moment in the sun.
We forget about our needs
First, it’s worth wondering: “Is the lifestyle you lead worth the costs you incur for it?” Look, the question is, is the game worth the candle, or whatever they say? In other words, do the efforts you make justify the result?
Do you think that if an employee is in good condition, they will work more efficiently?
Does your organization care about the health and happiness of its employees? Does he regularly invest money in it?
Let’s perform an engineering analysis: if your investment (time, energy, health) exceeds the output parameters (satisfaction, happiness, well-being), then you probably need to rethink the design of your life mechanism.
In general, when you start analyzing all these facts, the picture is not the most rosy. Most of us work late into the night on projects that are always on tight deadlines. We juggle tasks, but at the same time we realize that we don’t devote enough time to the most important things. We come home tired, and no longer have the strength for normal communication with our loved ones. We spend too little time planning our lives, taking care of ourselves, and simply enjoying life.
Next, you wonder: will people work more efficiently if they are healthy and happy? Based on the principles of system design, it can be assumed that optimal performance characteristics (productivity, quality, innovation) are achieved under the condition of physical and psychological well-being of employees. This is a key thesis that needs to be laid down in the “blueprint” of a successful organization.
The law of kinematics is the law of conservation of energy. As the saying goes,”you can’t just create energy out of nothing.” Similarly, you can’t expect high performance from employees who are constantly exhausted and overworked. It is necessary to maintain their energy balance by investing in their well-being.
Finally, does your company regularly invest in the happiness and health of its employees? According to engineering standards, priority maintenance of “ moving parts “(people) is a prerequisite for the smooth operation of the “mechanism” (organization). If this principle is not implemented in practice, then you should review the design decision and make appropriate adjustments.
Newton’s second law of dynamics — the force of action is equal to the force of reaction. If a company doesn’t take care of its employees, then employees won’t work selflessly for the good of the company. A balance of mutual investment and concern is needed.
Energy, work, power
Look, if now the main “product” is “time for money”, then it turns out that engineers are like parts that can be easily replaced. One detail on top of another. So, this is a fairly simple and one-sided approach. Each tries to “take away” as many resources as possible from the other. Such a deal is nothing more than barter. Now it turns out that each side is trying to squeeze the maximum out of the other, but in the end no one gets what they want, the result is stagnation of industry.
No matter how much the employer pays for our time, it still won’t be enough to meet our needs. Only if the employer supports our desire to meet our immediate needs can we speak of a “labor force”. Based on the principles of system design, it can be assumed that optimal performance characteristics (productivity, quality, innovation) are achieved under the condition of physical and psychological well-being of employees.
Devoting your time to creativity, strategy, and long-term planning means shifting your focus from operating systems to development. As the saying goes, “ you can’t hammer down nails if you don’t know what kind of house you want to build.”
The law of conservation of mechanical energy tells us that our energy is not infinite. The kinetic energy of moving towards the goal is quickly wasted if we don’t feed it with the potential energy of long-term planning. A moment of force applied in the right direction triggers the rotational movement of progress, gradually increasing the moment of inertia of our achievements. We don’t just “work” like machines, we transform energy. We turn our potential resources (knowledge, talent, time) into kinetic energy (actions, decisions, results).
You need to lay the foundation for the future, think through the concept, and take the time to do something that will bring long-term value. Then there is energy, engagement, concentration, creativity, and in the end-the best result.
The Law of Inertia: For better or worse, we create the environment in which we work. Oddly enough, problems start with how we “design” ourselves. We make mistakes even in areas where we “know everything by heart.” We forget about our needs, and instead spend a lot of energy blaming, complaining, and shifting blame. We don’t take care of ourselves and our health, and as a result, we lose interest in life.
Strain from stress and the elastic force of resistance-often prevent us from moving forward. Hooke’s law reminds us that overloading can lead to destruction.
We don’t devote enough time (and I’m talking about quality time) to those we love. This leads to feelings of guilt, which reduces the energy and power of our relationship. As a result, we come to work already “discharged”. The work becomes hard and we lose motivation. Stress increases, and we become irritable, nervous. We understand that our emotions strongly influence our thinking and decisions. Here it is important to keep in mind the principle of stability of systems: if one element of the system (a person) is under stress, this negatively affects the entire system (team).
More and more organizations say that “their main asset is people.” Enter this phrase in Yandex and you’ll see millions of links. But in practice, they shift responsibility for taking care of employees to the HR department. And the HR department, as a rule, has no real influence on the decisions of top management.
In reality, these are just beautiful words. Such programs receive funding only when there is “extra” money. And they are the first to cut them when “there is not enough money”. Most companies don’t understand how important employee happiness is to productivity.
Most companies don’t understand how important employee happiness is to productivity. As Archimedes said: “Give me a foothold and I’ll turn the world upside down.” Happiness is the fulcrum that triggers the productivity mechanism.
The principle of optimal design. In conclusion, dear colleague, let’s analyze these key issues using a systematic approach and striving for an optimal balance between costs and results. Only in this way can we create an effective and harmonious “mechanism” of life and work. The organic combination of management approaches with engineering principles allows you to create truly productive and sustainable organizations, where employees are not just “details”, but a key resource that requires careful handling and investment.
