In LO4438 Roxanne Abbas describes some of the disincentives to play. She
writes:
> The process of managers judging and assigning ratings (like the process of
> teachers judging and assigning grades) creates many of the obstacles. In
> many or most cases, it diverts or perverts behavior from doing what is
> important to doing whatever it takes to please the boss or make the grade.
> The process itself robs the employee of the natural joy of working; the
> student of the natural joy of learning. This is not to say that employees
> don't need feedback about how they're doing or information on what might
> might be important to the organization and its customers.
>
> I believe that play and joy in life are correlated with a sense of
> freedom. Performance management and merit pay systems are control tools.
I find these insights painfully fascinating. Painful, because I suspect
that the need for control tools is a legitimate one. Coming from a
systemic mistrust of both the work and the worker. Fascinating because
your belief in the "natural joy of working" is both affirming and
inspring.
Have you found systems (organizations) that actually recognize and
promote these natural joys? Please, tell me more.
My best wishes to you and our community in LO for a year of joyful work!
-- Bernie DeKoven DeKoven@aol.com http://www.california.com/~meetings