Im taking a course about Management & Organization Behaviour. One of the assignments was about how to motivate employees. (My preferred method, “Do your work or go find a job elsewhere” is apparently not the best method.) There was some interesting stuff about when incentives work and when they don’t, that sort of thing. But then there was the question: “List five forces that have motivated you to attain goals (both simple and complex) in your life:”
This was interesting to think about because my motivational imperative has always been my own self-interest. After all, isn’t it reasonable to expect people to put their own self-interest at the top of the list? In fact, I would think that anyone who doesn’t operate out of a sense of self-interest is acting irrationally. Of course, then we have to figure out exactly what we mean by ‘self-interest’.
But the question asked for five forces. Self-interest is just one. So I gave it some thought and realized that as a survivalist, my actions and behaviours follow a pretty simple rubric. I’ll share it with you, not because I think you should adopt it or that its groundbreaking, but rather because perhaps you should think about the framework that you use for your motivations when it comes to preparedness.
Although the question asked for five, I could only come up with four. But, to me, and for me, these four give me a pretty good foundation for how to move forward:
- Self interest – does this benefit me? Or does it at least not hurt me? Does this improve my situation?
- Security – does this keep me from needing the help of others? Does this provide a stable platform or environment for me to operate in?
- Safety – will this hurt me emotionally? Financially? Physically?
- Satisfaction – will I regret this? Does it please me to do this?
Example: I really want a Barret 82A1. And, technically, I can open a new browser window, visit my vendor (who has the things on sale right now, dang it), hit a few keys, and have one here Friday. Should I do it?
- Self interest – does this benefit me? (Yes, it gives me massive firepower) Or does it at least not hurt me? (Uhm..that might hurt my wallet) Does this improve my situation? (Yes. It gives me a lovely antimateriel/vehicle/Bigfoot capacity)
- Security – does this keep me from needing the help of others? Does this provide a stable platform or environment for me to operate in? (It provides an additional level of protection from ranged threats or lightly amored ones, thereby making my environment safer)
- Safety – will this hurt me emotionally? Financially? (Absolutely. There are a dozen better things to do with eight grand right now) Physically?
- Satisfaction – will I regret this? (Probably.) Does it please me to do this? (yes)
There are too many answers there that should not be there. So, no, at this moment getting the 82A1 is a bad idea, according to the forces that motivate me. Let’s try a positive:
Should I switch my car insurance:
- Self interest – does this benefit me? (Yes. Saves me money.) Or does it at least not hurt me? (Yes, does not hurt me) Does this improve my situation? (Yes. I keep coverage and have more money)
- Security – does this keep me from needing the help of others? (Yes, it transfers risk to someone else) Does this provide a stable platform or environment for me to operate in? (Yes, I can operate my vehicle without constraint)
- Safety – will this hurt me emotionally? Financially? (No, it benefits me, actually) Physically?
- Satisfaction – will I regret this? (No, I’ll be gad I did it when I shave a couple hundred bucks a year off my bill) Does it please me to do this? (It pleases me to get the same coverage for less)
So, in this case, my little Magic 8 Ball of motivators says “Yes, do it”. Note that this is a decision-making framework as well as a motivational one. In other words, I use this to help me make a choice (Do I or don’t I), but also to make me do something.
All the answers don’t have to be in agreement. Should I take a crappy job after ten months of unemployment? The satisfaction answer would be ‘no’… I would not be pleased. BUT, all the other answers suggest its a good idea. So you don’t have to be ‘in agreement’ on everything, you just need to be aware of the different factors. And you may weigh some more than others. I weigh being pleased far below being safe financially. YMMV.
None of this is groundbreaking self-awareness. In fact, this is basically just ‘sleeping on it’ when it comes to making an important decision. But by having some guidelines to work against you can compare apples-to-apples when it comes to weighing whether a course of action is better/worse than another. And when it comes to preparedness, there’s a lot of decisions to be made.
Again, Im not saying you should copy my list or anything. I’m just suggesting that you think about what it is that makes you do the things that you do…what are the factors that you take into account when deciding whether or not to drop $1500 on an optic, or talk to a coworker about preparedness, or pack it up and move to the hills.
As I said, my own self-interest is the main thing for me, and when expanded it includes those other three S’s – Safety, Security, Satisfaction. Heck, let’s just call it Commander Zero’s 4S Motivational Process. But thats pretty much it….my motivational imperatives.
I guess we can rationalize anything, if we want it bad enough.
Yup. That’s why I try to come up with some objective criteria.
I did those classes. My management style differs from what they teach also. I’ve discovered, however, that the new crop of employees don’t seem to understand “show up, on time, and do your job”. Maybe instead of teaching us how to manage, students need to learn how to be employees. Not everyone gets to be a boss, but most everyone will be an employee at some point or another.
Too many are “entitled”…..
We really need to bring back the draft….
Everyone feels entitled. The older generation is just as bad -whining about national debt and socialism but demanding social security and Medicare.
All of them are about self-interest on some level – which makes sense to me. I’ve always done well with the job motivation of “work or get fired.” Which only happened once – it was a lifetime lesson in adulthood.
Zero
You crack me up. Especially when it comes to acquiring more firearms. I totally get the “ I want it but do I really need it “ conundrum. And more poignant on the M82. I also lust for one but realize here in SE Wisconsin I would have very little opportunity to properly exercise the capabilities of this weapon. Need 1000 plus yards range IMHO to even come close to justifying laying down the 8 large to get one. Not to mention the cost of rounds, even though I do reload. Shoot I bet it takes 1lb of powder to load 40-50 rounds.
I just bought a S&W 642 Centennial Airweight. Used the rational of didn’t have a .38 spl in the battery and the price ( 299.00 ) was right. But did I really need one? No, any of my other smaller 9’s and Ruger LCP2 fill the pocket pistol niche.
But hey it sure is fun to get new shooting stuff ain’t it?
Look at the options and then pick the best one. Would an Armalite 50 BMG single shot satisfy the security requirements while lessening the effects on finances?
What a coincidence. I just happen to have one NIB for $3200 that I will probably never shoot, instantly regretted buying and can barely lift. However, if the balloon does go up it should be worth much more than I paid for it.
Most motivation is internal and the problem is too many of the forces that drive it are mitigated(hunger,cold/heat,homelessness,vagrancy),you want to see a motivated person watch someone who hasn’t eaten for several days and his only path to food is honest labor,but that is driven by negative forces(pain),the alternative method is pleasure and most typically manifests as the search for companionship(mating) which tends to take greater effort and planning but tends to have greater rewards.
CZ a suggestion for another motivator is the serotonin/dopamine release in the brain from a positive outcome(runners high/sense of satisfaction).
What makes management tick? That is actually a very important question that both workers and managers need to ask themselves. It’s a question that workers seldom ponder, and managers rarely make clear. Mostly because they both make the common mistake of thinking others think the same as they do. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Look for the book “Neanderthals At Work”, and the companion book: “Dinosaur Brains”.
Neanderthals explains why management quite often make decisions that range from puzzling to bizarre. Very entertaining and informative. Frankly, reading NaW should be mandatory.
Organizational behavior is a very useful topic. Maybe one of the most practical classes I took in college, in terms of real-world applicability.
It’s also useful to think of how the lessons apply not just in a professional office setting, but in terms of group dynamics. Say, for instance, a group of neighbors cooperating for their common defense during a prolonged emergency.
I love those kind of survey questions.
1) Why stop at the Barret? There’s paper involved that wouldn’t be with the Barret, but 20MM does a better job farther out, albeit at a higher cost in both dollars and mobility (not that an 82A1 could be considered “mobility enhancing).
1B) What besides an 82A1 would accomplish the same thing? Maybe: personal mobility to allow avoidance (requires a boost in physical fitness, a plus), terrain knowledge (spend more time outdoors trekking and looking around, another plus); navigational skills with map and compass to aid terrain know;edge (more plus); enhanced distance accuracy with personal weapons (a huge plus that also translates to all personal weapons); spending time (which is money) in developing a high quality team 9lots more pluses), ad infinitum.
Bwhntr64 (comment above) says he needs a 1K range for an 82A1; maybe, for initial zeroing, but, again, 20MM works at 4X that, and if you let them get within 1K to begin with you’re flirting with disaster anyway (see: Personal mobility, above, which – if done correctly, puts you out of their path long before 1K and behind them, where your trigger work will be more effective).
And, RE: the insurance thing – I’ll agree with the premise, but there’s a difference between “coverage” and “deliverables.” Fred & Larry’s Excellent Auto Insurance Company may provide “coverage” for a terrific price, but will they deliver the necessary support and money when you have an accident?
But back to the Barret; when you buy it if I spring for some ammo, can I come shoot it?