LIVING IN THE RESULTS WORLD
OR SOME "ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE"
ALL THAT MATTERS IS...
The only thing that matters in this world is results. And the results that we want are those results that we value the most - aka "meaningful" results or "valued" results. [This is not about money results, as money is only a "means" and just one of the things we value to some degree. This is about any "valued" result - happiness, love, whatever floats your boat and is good for you.]
We do, in fact, live in a results world, one of cause and effect, where "effects" do not occur without a cause. That world is a physical world that is totally mechanical, but to which we add meaning in a unique human way - but it operates strictly on the laws of physics - and the sooner we know that, the better.
However, our culture and/or our lack of really thinking about it has allowed us to create an "alternative universe", in another dimension - that of thought misused, where we make things up and then choose to believe them. I'm not critical of the people doing this, but I am concerned about the possibility or probability that they will not live nearly as good lives as they could if they instead went about harvesting reality - instead of ghosts, make believe, false fears, political correctness, make wrong, etc.
In the alternative universe, without going into super detail of "why" this occurs, we believe that we will get rewards from people approving of us or at least we can avoid the pain of getting disapproval. This leads to "pleasing" people (at a great cost to you), to trying to be perfect or at least not criticizable, hoping for a reward "later" somehow from something, trying to be painfully "good", and such. It is "wrong target" thinking. Sure, to the extent that any of those get us something in some way (including a good feeling), then the behaviors would be producing a good result. But mostly this distracts us from what will create the greatest value in our lives.
A DIFFICULT, BUT NECESSARY, CONVERSATION
After attending my first coaching day in Chicago with The Strategic Coach, I saw that it was best to clarify with my staff the idea of what my job really was.
Keith is in the "results economy" not the hourly one
You see, I had chosen to live in and be subject to the results economy. Of course, they had to produce results, but they were compensated based of a time economy (for a salary based on time).
The key point I had to make is that they could produce the best results for the company (and for themselves, especially with the bonus system) by helping assure that the big results producer (the one who brought in the income and sold his expertise) produced the most results he could.
The big "decoupling" concept that I was to get across was that they should not look at me by the hours I spend, but by the results. (And, for me, I was released from the idea that I had to work a great number of hours to do my part, so they would not resent me.)
Instead, they should see me as having crossed over the line from the hours economy into the results economy - which often did not bear a direct cause effect relationship with hours.
Do what is needed to increase Keith's productivity
It was most important for me to produce results. So the question was how to have Keith get the most results - with zero concern on hours or "looking good" - just get results!
I explained how we need to have me be sharp (in a highly productive state) to get bettter results, instead of a tired overworked inefficient state. To assure that I was sharp, we needed me to be "rejuvenated" and fresh. And it was time off that helped create that rejuvenation - so we were to try to maximize, within reality, my "free days", which were completely free from work and were strictly a time to rejuvenate, to increase my creativity and my productivity.
And they also saw that it was necessary to take from me all those tasks that wore me out, took my time, and/or which I was not the best at.
Production went up - while taking at least one free day a week (during the workweek) and about 8 weeks or so of "free days" and vacation days. (And I was alot happier!) In other words, I could just take a week off even if I was not going on a scheduled vacation somewhere.
So, contrary to some people's misunderstanding, productivity is about doing what is of the most value, not always for the most money, but ALSO producing that value has a side effect of producing more money (or productivity in some other measure).
NOTE THAT PRODUCTIVITY IS NOT THE CAUSE OF STRESS
As a side note, it is worthwhile to address the myth that many people still persist in believing. The myth causes harm, because it drives people away from doing what is best for themselves.
People associate "productivity" with having to do lots of hard work while experiencing high stress.
But, in a life that is well managed (as I propose in this site), high productivity actually leads to less stress and to more time to enjoy life. It is, instead, lack of productivity that causes people disappointment, stress, and coming from scarcity.
Make sense?
