Why Do we Work?
While reading “The Evening News” by Arthur Hailey one thought crossed my mind. When a journalist working for one newspaper leaves that newspaper and joins another one he does not change his religion. He continues to do his job – collecting news and reporting.
The thought crossed my mind - is it true in case of people working in Red Hat. To take it to more general level what do we do when we change jobs from one IT company to another company.
I tried to answer the later question first.
Our job, as a sales person, is similar to a journalist job. Here we bring the information about one company, its products and services to the users. We are doing the job of a facilitator. The nature of, features of products and services keep changing.
But then, can we apply this in case of people working in Red Hat and going to work for other companies.
My answer is no. From Red Hat we not only communicate the features of product and services but we actually propagate the values and beliefs of opensource. Unless we start believing in its core values, the way of software development, the belief in its “openness” we would not be really successful.
In such case, can we go out and join the other companies who stand anti-thesis of this entire model. If we have to do that we need to change the religion – in a way of changing our beliefs. If you are ready for that go ahead.
What are the ways we can continue to work to represent these beliefs and values but for different products and services? The only option is to look for companies in the same space. Do you have many options? Check it out for yourself.
If one works at RH just as any other professional without understanding and believing the values of open source, chances are that that person would have short life at RH and he would be as unhappy as in any other company. In such cases, he is either working for the manager or for plain simple money factor. Such person would leave the company the moment he is not happy with the manager or the monetory conditions.
We all have to ask this question to ourselves. Why do we work at a particular place?
Is it because we like the people around
Is it because the manager is good
Is it because the company provides good facilities
All the above conditions are subjected to change and how long can we work for such external factors.
I have been brought up to look at reasons to work beyond place and person. Because place (the conditions) change, the people and their behavior change. We need to have some principal in life that remains as steady and as guiding as a lighthouse, come what may.
November 21st, 2007 at 2:07 am
[…] I know had a very interesting thing to say. We sure do live in interesting times […]
November 21st, 2007 at 2:22 am
You say “Is it because we like the people around” - does it matter if the folks you like (or, should it be liked ?) moved on ? One of the better things is that folks with whom one gels act as sounding boards for ideas and decisions on a constant basis. Or, was there some deeper meaning which is going to be a part of another blog ?
November 21st, 2007 at 2:50 am
Many times, during the inital phase of career, you hang around because you have made friends. (I have seen this happening with many people) And when friends move along, you start wondering what am I doing. Thus your reason for working at that place is not determined by your inner factors but external factors.
We keep drifting along because of such external reasons.
Is this good?
November 21st, 2007 at 4:07 am
I always thought that the reason to stay would be determined by “does this challenge me enough” which generally gets the addendum of “am I being adequately recognized and appreciated for what I bring to the table” - once either or both of the factors tend wane, one generally takes a look at moving on. In that event, familiarity and friendliness ensures that you have a vibrant group amongst which you can extend and challenge your own self. Or, http://sankarshan.randomink.org/blog/2007/03/23/anecdotal-im-converations/ is what I am pointing to
November 21st, 2007 at 6:23 am
The first two reasons - being challenged and being recognised are the reasons for a good professional to stay on or move on. The point is how to make yourself feel challenged? Whom do you think is responsible for creating these challenges? This is where the belief in a larger cause, the committment to further the social cause makes a person get going.
If you leave the cause of creating those challenges in the hands of external factors such as managers and your friends then you can not go beyond a point.
November 21st, 2007 at 6:36 am
Aren’t http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Hairy_Audacious_Goal the task of the management ? Breaking down a BHAG into individual level “SMART” (oh !! the acronyms) goals is a joint effort between manager and associate. What I was getting at is, is it human nature to set the bar for individual performance (when setting it oneself) low ? Or, do folks do that when they observe that such behavior has incentives ? Setting high personal standards and using self discipline to achieve them are in a way a means to be self satisfied in terms of “What have I done ?” - but does all this in any way link back to your post ?
November 21st, 2007 at 6:59 am
My point is when you work at company like RH, are you working like any other professional? or do we work as much more than professional and get committed to the larger cause (beyound your professional duties such as selling and making numbers)?
And when that happens - professional excellence + committment to deeper cause, your reason of working is not just an orginsation or people. Your motivation is derived not from people around you.
So the down side of this, when you think of leaving, you have to think of what are you leaving - the people, the organisation or the cause / principles / beliefs
Today, unfortunately, leaving RH is akin to leaving the cause of opensource, at least for the sales and marketing professionals because there are not many attractive organisations around the same cause, with same beliefs.
November 21st, 2007 at 7:38 am
@sachin “My point is when you work at company like RH, are you working like any other professional? or do we work as much more than professional and get committed to the larger cause (beyound your professional duties such as selling and making numbers)?”
Is that completely true ? I mean even for a company like RHT there would be a large chunk of organizational practices which are “traditional or old school” For example, I would imagine, HR practices or incentives would not be different. What would be required to be different is the Sales & Marketing bits which uptake from Engineering to demonstrate value to the potential buyer. This of course would mean that while the “Open Source Culture” might be important to all, it would impact developers in Red Hat more than any other team. There are a significant number of companies doing Open Source and contributing back to it. In the operating system space RHT might be doing it more, but there are spaces like Open Source consulting or even Open Source product companies where one can be attached to the “culture of collaboration” yet not be feeling divorced from the rich vein of innovation.
I don’t quite agree with the logic that you need to be committed to a cause to turn in a stellar performance. Although, it might be true that buying into the vision does help you when you are down and end up doubting whether you can.
November 22nd, 2007 at 1:24 am
I would agree with sachin that the “inner belief” or perhaps the “passion of association with a certain cause” is of utmost importance. To some extent it shapes up “how you do things” irrespective of the external factors like money or management. When the “how you do things” part gets affected by the external factors the “passion” gets stifled and gets suffocated within. Unless an equivalent passionate playground is available stellar performances are not possible in the same arena. It is unwise to think that only innovators/developers are the passionate people.