Archiv der Kategorie: English

Join the contract, quit the contract – Good riddance

Many services are offered today as a membership. It starts with the fitness center around the corner, is valid for a membership in an automobile association, up to a subscription with Netflix. In order to benefit from the advantages of the membership, you sign a contract. As soon as you do not pay or even cancel, the agreed advantages are lost. You can join the contract without delay, but also quickly quit the contract – Good riddance.

mitgliedschaft

This is valid for all, but perhaps some believe that this is not valid for them, as you can see from the expectations of the British. They actually believe that they quit (which they did not do yet) and nevertheless are able to further use the advantages of the European Union – of course without the appropriate obligations. Although contracts are always defined the same way.

  • Terms
    Here you specify, how long the offer remains in full force and effect. As soon as the period has expired, a vendor is no longer bound to offer the deliverables with the indicated conditions. With the exit of the British it is rather the matter that the BREXIT will take at least over two years. Since David Cameron refuses tactically quitting the contract, it is open, when the exit period really starts. For the time of being, they are a member.
  • Conditions
    It is unclear, which conditions are valid, as soon as they quit. On the one hand England is then any longer part of the EU, but additionally not yet outside. What this means for payments, liabilities, laws, and so on will be clarified in the upcoming negotiations. Thus, the British still have another grace period, in order to adjust themselves to the loss of the European rights. For the rest of Europe nothing else remains to be done as to use the time for executing the relocation of banks, enterprises and institutions as well as to build up new tactical economic sites.
  • Rights
    The contracting parties lose with the cancellation at latest after two years the rights that resulted from the contract. It starts with fiscal arrangements, goes across import and export barriers as well as the loss of full say in European decisions, to the freedom of the citizens to travel. Swiss can tell a lot of not being involved in the agreements.
  • Conflict resolutions
    The question is, how it will be proceeded in case of conflict. England will become a non-European location, comparable with those countries, which yet did not achieve to make agreements with Europe. While it is clearly regulated so far, where legally obligatorily disputes are solved, in the future almost insurmountable walls arise that at least let the costs explode in the economic exchange. It is unlikely that this will be to the disadvantage for Europe. The luxury goods will be more expensive, but this should not be really a problem for the wealthy people in England. When this legal security gets lost, is not yet foreseeable.

Each golf and tennis court is prepared to allow non-members to their courses. The players cannot avoid paying an extra fee after they waited patiently in the line, in order to be let in at all. This should be clear for the Englishmen.

Bottom line: The current state is actually simple. The English want to withdraw. Okay. As island people they are used to go their own ways. In this case, it should be guaranteed by the European politicians that no back doors are opened that would be paid eventually by the EU citizens. Let us hope that the correct measures were already introduced, to take the European Union-relevant elements off from England and to re-activate the border barriers. Join the contract, quit the contract – Good riddance!

The Artist – prototype for intrinsic motivation

What pushes us? What engages the colleagues? These questions arise every day. The look inside oneself provides only limited answers. Let’s take as an example the photographer Thomas in the film Blow-Up. He is pushed by creative drive in the entire film. This artist searches obsessively without interruption the next picture, what makes him to the practical prototype for intrinsic motivation.

zealot

Being fascinated by work in order to lose the feeling for the time or the environment requires intrinsic and/or extrinsic motivation. The difference between the two is just the question, where the impulse for the dedication   comes from. In the one case out of oneself. In the other case the internal drive is released by external influences. The force that ultimately drives is in oneself.

Intrinsic motivation

Ideally the reason to do something develops in oneself – what I want, when I want, where I want.

  • It is on the one hand a matter of intrinsic process motivation. One actually strives for certain activities or actions just for the fun of it. The act is not a means to an end, but it becomes an end in itself. It is already enough reward being able to engage in the matter. The best examples are the many artists, who could live during lifetimes neither from nor without their art.
  • On the other hand, inspiration results from the internal self understanding. A certain zest for action is released by the own traits, abilities and values. The feeling of doing the right thing further enforces thereby the internal principles. Just think about the volunteers, who engage themselves socially and experience the positive effects of their doing. Over time, they aim at ever higher standards.

In the film the photographer is a driven guy, who is acting in all photographic areas and shoots one picture after the other. The only one, who pushes him, is he himself. Intrinsic motivation does not need more than consciousness that matches the subject.

Extrinsic motivation
Always if external influences overcome one’s lack of will power, it is extrinsic motivation. The triggers are called for example: You receive something for it! You are the right person! These goals are made for you! You surely want to further develop yourself!

  • The formal incentives (instrumental motivation) are used by enterprises and institutions. The desired behavior is stimulated by, for example, payment, promotion, and bonuses. The chances for profit, personal incentives such as spare time, the participation in selected meetings, or the lavishly equipped laptop, satisfy the internal needs and drive the employees to ever greater efforts. The reward releases the increased dedication.
  • Externally oriented people are looking for confirmation of their traits, competency and values in their primary reference group. Belonging to a group can already be sufficient, in order to cause extensive readiness to support. This external self understanding leads to the acceptance of certain circumstances and thereafter the striving for status in the group. Signs of the affiliation are certain clothes, the car or smartphones with the famous logo.
  • Through goal internalizing people feel motivated to do something, if the trait and behavior of the third party correspond to the own value system. Strong ideals and beliefs are the basis for taking over the reasons of the others. The result is a feeling of strong bindingness to the common goals. This can be seen in the demonstrations of the recent past. Organizations use the angst of citizens, who are confused and frightened by the unknown. The flood of refugees herds them into demonstrations, which actually pursue other goals.

Even if the photographer in the film fulfills different contracts, he does not show external influences. His urge consists of the photographic realization of his ideas. Depending on the situation, he changes spontaneously from one topic to the other.

All the five sources of motivation are present in each person. The degree of the characteristic is different for everyone and that makes the difference. The artist is driven by himself. External influences would disturb his basic concept and his spontaneous inspiration. It would thwart in extreme cases his engagement. For this reason leaders should always be aware with whom they have to do what. The one you should let run and benefit from their results. The others need occasionally an external impact, in order to keep momentum.

Bottom line: The artist is the prototype for intrinsic motivation. They do not need an external trigger for becoming active. They are homing, independent activists, who carry out much more, than they should. The bad news is that they do not always realize exactly what others expect. For this reason the key performance indicators of the extrinsic motivated people are here not valid – attendance time, result contribution, obedience. They are rather the source for additional and new results. External motivations are not enough, in order to make one such addicted to work as in the case of the artist.