Comments on: Zinger Classic: Motivation – Take Your Carrot and Stuff It

By: Corinne

Corinne — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:52:52 +0000

I enjoy my work but would be forced to leave if they did not pay me. I am going to study for 2 years and leave the present institution. So I am another turn-around stat.

By: David Zinger

David Zinger — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:31:14 +0000

I would do pretty much exactly what I am doing even without being paid. I like to think of it as the lottery question..if you won what would change…I think intrinsic motivators are important and we need to know how we influence people by knowing what is vital for them and establishing mutual respect and purpose.

By: CK

CK — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:52:25 +0000

One more thing … You can get MORE and BETTER work out of someone who is internally motivated. Everyone is different and each have their motivation factors – have you asked your employees what motivates them at work? Have you tried to empliment those motivators? Try reading “Dream Manager” and see if there is something within your span of control that you can change in your group or organization.

By: CK

CK — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:48:16 +0000

A question for everyone …
If it wasn’t for the paycheck (or reward) would you still work were you do? Would you do something else?

By: Miki

Miki — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:54:33 +0000

I don’thave to worry, I’m too much of a maverick and too irreverent to ever get that many carrots:)

By: David Zinger

David Zinger — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:11:22 +0000

Miki:

Yes you can turn organge:

“Carotene” is the red or yellow hydrocarbon pigment that gives carrots their characteristic cheery color, and also helps to brighten up egg yolks, sweet potatoes, and a variety of leafy vegetables. Intemperate carrot consumption will make the carotene build up in your bloodstream. Before you know it, your skin will take on a sickly yellow pallor, a grisly condition that superficially resembles jaundice.

The big glitch is that you would have to eat a lot of carrots…many more than Bugs Bunny and he never turned yellow.

By: Miki

Miki — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:53:30 +0000

David, Can one really turn orange from eating carrots?

By: David Zinger

David Zinger — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:36:10 +0000

Miki:

A wonderful line: we punish ourselves when we allow the reward to become more important than the action required to attain it.

Well said.

We lose a sense of flow or intrinsic motivation and maybe turn orange because we ate too many carrots.

David

By: Miki

Miki — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:51:27 +0000

But David, semantics are real and words carry the baggage assigned to them by the society they serve.

I don’t think that rewards punish us, we punish ourselves when we allow the reward to become more important than the action required to attain it.

(Yikes, it’s getting deep in here:)

By: David Zinger

David Zinger — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:16:05 +0000

Miki:

You have seen this carrot and stick in ways I have never thought of. I guess I go more with the word influence than manipulation but that could just be semantic.

There may be trouble with carrots. Alfie Kohn has written well about being punished by rewards.

Thank you for such thoughtful dialogue.

David