Friday, February 4, 2011

Death of the Protestant Work Ethic

I've been witness to a death I do believe....the idea that if you work hard and work well you'll be rewarded is fading away.  Of course, Craig's termination at Sanmina SCI is bold evidence that we live in a work world that is unfair.  I had, however, been noticing the baffling dissolution for some time.

I work with several entrepreneur-type folks who are full of ingenuity, creativity and commitment.  They work hard, they work consistently and they do their very best, which is very good indeed.  But their crazy-hard work is not bringing results.

Now, many a consultant and coach would merely say, something needs to change in how you are doing things.  Perhaps, but I don't believe that the entire struggle is due to something the individual is doing or not doing.

Part of the struggle comes from the down turn in the economy to be sure, but I think there is a guiding principle that many adhere to that is flawed in 2011.  Those darn  Protestants sold us a bill of goods! 

These days, it seems to me that working hard and being bright does not necessarily ensure that the world will reward you abundantly.  It is no longer enough to work from sun-up to sun-down.  People are doing that and it still doesn't pay the bills.

There are a couple of things that are true now and I believe they are the key to making it work .... it is about who you know and it is about working at something you love.

The explosion of social media is not by accident.  If we're progressive, we're starting to realize just how powerful "it's who ya know" is becoming.  Secondly, if we're wise, we're starting to realize that life is actually not about the bank account.  Life is actually about maximizing every single moment you breathe so you can feel peace, fulfillment and integrity.

Can it really be that simple?  Get Connected .... Get Happy .... Rewards will Come.

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