Work Ethic for Teens? Help! LO16198

Bill Harris (billh@lsid.hp.com)
Wed, 10 Dec 1997 08:53:54 -0800 (PST)

Replying to LO16166 --

> Scott--I can't help being contrary, it's just my nature. In that spirit,
> I would ask the two hundred to tell me (and each other and themselves)
> what work ethic is, why it is, and answer basic questions about why it's
> important.

Doc,

That sounds right on! I liked some of Jesse's suggestions, but I agree:
they won't learn from preaching, they may learn from thinking.

> I know that each and all of us have lots of mental models about what WE
> think about work ethic. I propose that not one of those 200 people give a

To flesh that out a bit, it seems to me that the work ethic is part of a
social contract between employees and employers. A contract would imply
some sort of agreement or negotiation between the two parties. What about
introducing the notion of a social contract and then asking them, perhaps
in smaller groups, perhaps in the whole group, to propose what things they
think would be important in such a social contract? They might need
prompting if they forget to think of those things it might be important
for the employer to see in the contract. They might also come up with
some creative ideas for what they think employers really need, rather than
what employers are used to.

Then you could perhaps discuss with them that, much as this hypothetical
contract came from the interaction among people, the "contract" they
obtain with their future employers will be in some sense negotiated. They
need to understand what is realistic: as newbies in the workplace, they
have less bargaining power, and so they need to understand carefully what
the employer's view of the social contract is. They do have some limited
power even then, for example the power to say no to a job offer, if it
violates the minimums of what they want out of work. (Of course, if they
can't find any employer willing to give them what they want, then perhaps
they need to change their negotiating stance.) Once they agree, then
there is (a la Jesse) some moral obligation to live up to the agreement or
to agree to part company.

This is quick and dirty. Good luck!

Bill

-- 
Bill Harris                             Hewlett-Packard Co. 
R&D Engineering Processes               Lake Stevens Division 
domain: billh@lsid.hp.com               M/S 330
phone: (425) 335-2200                   8600 Soper Hill Road
fax: (425) 335-2828                     Everett, WA 98205-1298 

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