Words from Web Worker

What makes people more productive and happier at work? Contrary to conventional wisdom, it isn't just money. But it's not exactly joy either. It seems that most of us thrive by making constant progress and feeling a sense of purpose. Behavioral economist +Dan Ariely  presents two eye-opening experiments that reveal our unexpected and nuanced attitudes toward meaning in our work. We are driven by meaningful work, by others acknowledgement and by the amount of effort we’ve put in: the harder the task is, the prouder we are. When we think about labor, we usually think about motivation and payment as the same thing, but the reality is that we should probably add all kinds of things to it: meaning, creation, challenges, ownership, identity, pride, etc. Seeing the fruits of our labor may make us more productive. The less appreciated we feel our work is, the more money we want to do it. The harder a project is, the prouder we feel of it. Knowing that our work helps o...

Draw Your Success Moment to Storyboard Your Next Career +Joe Gebbia  reckons it’s better to focus on your success moment, draw it out and storyboard the progress from where you are to that moment. He asked participants to take a piece of paper and write one line on what they want to achieve. Then, he asks them to image the moment it all comes together and draw that ‘success moment’. The definition of success can be anything from sitting with a huge balance in your bank account to relaxing on a beach—the point is to imagine what success looks like for you. You need to get into the small details of the moment, like who's with you. Finally, when you have your 'one line' and 'success moment' together, look at them and ask yourself what is the one step you can take next to make it happen. Do that.

Paul Sloane recently wrote about becoming an Ideas carrier at Blogging Innovation. To become an ideas carrier you need three things: An interest in the challenges that other people face. You can find out about these with intelligent, sensitive questions. Most people are happy to open up about the business issues they face. An open, inquiring mind. You need to be on the look out for new ways to do things and fresh ideas. The willingness to offer the ideas, put them into context and communicate them in a positive manner. You can build your success in business with a combination of three things. Firstly your understanding of the needs of the key people you meet. Secondly your industry knowledge & contacts with other people. Thirdly your imagination and ability to spot connections. You can construct your own unique selling proposition with this combination. By carrying innovative ideas from one place to another you can help your customers, build your relationships & advance...