Wednesday, May 19, 2010

PEOPLE NEED MEANINGFUL WORK

When Ulysses S Grant's name is mentioned, the first image most Americans have is that of a hard-drinking general. This characterization of Grant dates from his last pre-Civil War army post, at Fort Humboldt, California. He had left his wife nearly two years earlier, pregnant and with their two-year old son. Grant was homesick, but more importantly, because he and his commanding officer did not hit it off, he was given no work to do. On February 2, 1854, he wrote a letter to his wife that began: "You do not know how forsaken I feel here."

"My family...consisted now of a wife and two children. I saw no chance of supporting them on the Pacific coast out of my pay as an army officer. I concluded therefore to resign." Ulysses S Grant

Because he had no meaningful responsibilities, Grant's feelings of loneliness were exacerbated. This, in turn, led to increased drinking and his resignation from the army.

LESSON: Without meaningful work, life stinks. People become demoralized and incapacitated. Some become permanently turned off and lose their future potential. Having a chronically underworked staff is every bit as bad as having one that is overworked.

No comments:

Post a Comment