Quote:
Originally Posted by GaryVoshol
I recall discussing the attitude of several new employees at work, "Oh, he's still young and not disallusioned yet. He'll learn." And yes, we all learn, and we all become somewhat disillusioned. But that's because for the most part we we have too high of an illusion in the first place. Most of us aren't going to "change the world".
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Gary, I thought about this one for a while... and at first the very first part rang very true. I've heard it many times as well. Maybe even uttered it once or twice. I've seen the political ways of this world, I've even seen the political ploys of FIRST... we all feel disallusioned at one point or another.
But Im also a big proponent of that this world is what you make of it. Are there days where I can't get myself to feel the world is positive? Yup. But overall, I hope that I am making this world all that I can.
Now for the part "most of us aren't going to change the world". I've said it before and said it again... when I graduated high school, my goal in starting 229 was just simply "to inspire just one student the way I had been inspired". 11 years and two teams later, I'm in awe of how many kids 229 and 1511 have inspired. And I will be a little selfish here... YUP - I did that! My one little goal, pushing past the "college mentors dont know enough", is what founded 229 and then 1511. I would like to think that this "changed the world" even just a little, for the better. I could ramble on about individual student stories, but many of those are in other threads. I think we have to WANT to change the world and BELIEVE that we can change the world for anything to work.
Are we going to completely change the culture overnight? NO. Are we going to make businessess not be greedy? NO. Will things someday not revolve around money and have pretty pink roses everywhere? Heck no.
But to go back to the original topic... my answer to the solution is in the way I run my team. I dont disallusion them. I dont pretend that everything is and should be GP all the time. I often tell them the cold hard facts. I tell them about the politics inherant in corporate culture, politics in FIRST, politics in the school system etc. I try to shield them from having to deal with it, but I let them see the reality. I hope by doing that they will have realistic expectations of the world and realize that if they really WANT to see a change, it is COMPLETELY up to them.
But the idea for change HAS to be realistic. Plain and simple companies have to make profit. But several companies have shown us that they can have fun doing it and create a great culture where their employees can be open and honest, and can help create the culture (which usually adhere's to GP). Is every engineering business like that?? HECK NO. Are 50% of them like that?? I Highly doubt it. But its up to us to start the wave... if an entire generation comes in, believing that they can make money AND be graciously professional, and they do NOT allow themselves to become jaded and cynical, pushing past all the current politics.. eventually, when they become managers, they will be able to instill that culture... and we will have succeeded.