Recently after a conversation with a wonderful friend, I started thinking about modern life and the common belief that to be successful you just needed to work harder. There is no doubt, to be successful takes dedication, perseverance and commitment, but perhaps it also takes a rightly timed opportunity and sometimes just a little bit of luck.
I once heard someone in a position of professional influence state that if young employees wanted to get ahead in their career they would need to work harder and for longer hours for no more reward than their contracted wage or salary – that was the thing that would be recognised and the way professionally forward and up. With an extensive career in organisations that supported this management style, I’d had some experience with the pressure placed on people and the stress and reduction in overall productivity that resulted.
From what was said, it could easily be interpreted the perceived act of working harder and longer hours was in some way more important that the substance produced. How could an observer identify whether that time was used productively or efficiently? A person could also take from this that even if they gave it their very best in fair exchange for what was being offered, why was the expectation for more the thing that would be ultimately rewarded.
Perhaps this is not what the speaker intended, however the management context in which it was said made me question this overall corporate and often adapted lifestyle ethos. It set me wondering about how we interpret the concept of working harder and how we apply it to what we do. Did quantity outweigh quality, and if they were to be considered equal, why was there an acceptance that more for no more in return was ethical. How did it transpire that establishing an environment of inequality could still elicit loyalty, effort and ultimately success?
I am very aware of the consequence of working long pressured hours, and the resulting occupational disengagement, burnout and stress that results. I am also aware of situations where this approach has been applied to horse training, and the consequences.
I think most horse people would agree that this approach and mental attitude would not encourage or foster successful sustainable development or training. Working a horse physically harder or for longer periods won’t expedite a more positive result – it would likely be detrimental to long term physical and psychological development.
I thought about my life and the capacity we have to influence others through our own actions. It made me think about my personal professional philosophy of fostering and supporting a proactive and engaged team-based environment, and that a sense of contributory equality and maintaining this balance was the key to long term mutual success.
Horses and people have a lot in common. Pushing either to the point of frustration or exhaustion is neither productive or conducive to long term success. Expecting a result when neither has the developed skill set to successfully demonstrate or deliver the desired outcome is an exercise in futility, nothing will improve unless you ensure the foundations are in place. And foundations are more than just the basics, foundations are everything accumulated through learning and experience up to the point we are at now. This takes time, guidance and practice. In fact, you never stop building those foundations.
Corporate management could learn a lot from good horsemen and horsewomen. It’s not about how hard or fast or long, it’s about encouraging and creating solid foundations which foster and encourage a positive work ethic, and importantly recognising effort and rewarding it that makes good training.
There needs to be sense of equality between the parties. Creating and maintaining a healthy balance as incrementally you improve on what’s already there is how you build success. In fact, creating a healthy and sustainable lifestyle works the same way.
Sometimes this means working a little slower and removing the pressure, and taking the time to fully understand and get the task at hand done well. You have to be consistent and fair to yourself, and others working with you, and apply yourself to the best of your ability taking into account the foundations also held by the rest of your team.
Perhaps if corporations managed people like the way we should be training our horses, they could have a more willing, engaged and contributing workforce. Finding and maintaining that equitable balance, where effort is recognised and rewarded. That really would be applying the more modern concept of working smarter, not harder.
Just a thought…………
Liz Leighton © July 2017
