THE IN BETWEENIE

Douglas Mc Gregor in his book “The Human Side of Enterprise” examined two types of theories; X and Y of human motivation at work.

 Let’s relate to an experience many are familiar with; the education system. In school there exist scholars that are towed to class; these have extremely low levels of motivation. They only perceive yoke to revise once exams approach, lest they be unsuccessful. They possess not an ounce of intrinsic motivation within their vessels. In the typical Ugandan education system (one I undertook).  They need a whip to be reminded they’re in school. These are whom Mc Gregor refers to as the theory X.

On the other hand, theory Y proponents are the brood that is much focused and love to study. In the Ugandan setting these don’t need a whip to apprehend the rationale for their existence in school. They manufacture results much effortlessly. Now I am not saying that the theory X proponents don’t produce results. I am simply saying the former yields much more effortlessly.

The Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation are highly essential

Today’s work force is predominantly representative of neither of the theories. On the other hand we seem to have inhabitants of their middle ground; in between the two theories.  These I have grown to call the “in betweenies”. These neither ascribe to the X nor Y. They are in between the necessity for some sort of motivation to work and self motivation. They create a balance between the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Their motivation is arguably seasonal.

My experience with the in betweenies in school is that they seem to pass and excel holistically. They excel past class work to other sectors of life.

According to Douglas Mc Gregor’s theories, workers that ascribe to theory X have very limited motivation to work and can hardly work without maximum supervision. On the other hand, the ones that ascribe to Y require minimum supervision to accomplish their tasks and can work effectively without supervision.

It has come to my attention that the best people to hire are not necessarily those that ascribe to theory Y but rather the “In Betweenies” since a combination of these two yields much more than any of the two.

A combination of the two yields much higher motivation.

Do not seek the extreme; the in betweenies are the way to go.

MEDITATIONS OF THE RACIST TIMES

Ever wondered what it felt like to live under racism?

 Being black, I would have been one of the most frustrated people alive. Imagine living a life whose value was determined by a ruthless master.

On the other hand, I have heard of testimonies of slaves whose masters treated with lots of respect. Then I realized not every white person then was racist. In the experience of a non-racist white man, black is white! Because of faith”…calleth those things that be not as though they are…” (Romans 4:17 KJV).

This surely was an act of faith since the bible defines faith as the evidence of things not seen and substance of things hoped for. We can verily affirm that such men had faith. How then was this faith manufactured?

Visualize with me, the white man sees black but perceives white. If we are to judge the man’s eyes. He is racist. The perceptive faculty of his mind on the other hand isn’t. Would you rather judge the eyes or the mind? In fact, had all white men of those times carried this mind, racism would not be one of those topics embedded in history text books today.

Similarly many scenarios bring a temptation of judgment and reaction by the eye. What differentiates the ideal manager is not how they see but rather how they perceive. The implication is that personal and society opinions need to be set aside for one to judge by the mind. Otherwise how would you explain a manager who still believes in their staff even when they fail at something consistently?

We ought to judge and react by perception and not sight

As a result of the faith a few white men had in the black, racism came to an end. Your sub ordinate’s success at something is highly dependent on how you react to their initial failure at it. However your reaction is entirely dependent on what you decide perceive with; the eyes or the mind.

The next time you boast of having faith in your employees (sub ordinates) be sure that it is of this kind and nothing less. Carry a testimony of them achieving what you hope them to. Don’t let their current results determine how and what you perceive them as. That is Faith!

Faith moves mountains; it moved racism and separated the red sea. An employee’s under performance is extremely micro!

THE NOW EXPERIENCE!

As a man thinketh so he is.

As a man thinketh...

This gives an experience of a man being. Not of a man hoping to become! It actually affirms that a man is as he thinks.

Well the dictionary defines branding as the process of making something.

I beg to differ; you cannot make something that is already made. A house is not made in ten years. No. The ten years are simply a process of bringing to sight what is already existent in the mind. No wonder “…things which are seen were not made of the things which do appear…” (Hebrews 11; 3 KJV)

As educators, we are constantly training staff in organizations and youth to create their own brands, they have been trained to brand themselves and therefore become that which they intend to.  Well it’s high time the order switched. Branding is not a “to-be” practice. It is a “now” experience. It is an”I am” experience and not an” I want to be/ I will be” experience.

True branding is when you make your house and spend a year building it. This clearly shows a distinction between making and building.

Make your brand!

Making is when you create something! Building is when you gather bricks together to put in place that which you have already made. Surely one cannot hire a structural engineer without an architectural plan.

In regards  to organizational branding, It is not an aspect of working towards becoming something but rather acknowledging that you are(make) and thence working towards building that which you already are(build).

The best youth empowerment team does not have to strive with actions geared towards becoming what it already is. It simply has to act and behave as the best youth empowerment team there is. That is true branding

True branding is a now experience!

Branding is a now experience. Do not act, behave, administer, talk, walk or consult a particular way to become that which you want to be. Simply make yourself and build the brand. Do not do anything to become the best banker. Make yourself the best banker. The building the brand will edify you as the best banker.