Are leisure programs compatible to a culture of intrinsic motivation?
More and more big companies offer leisure programs to their employees. But doesn’t a leisure program imply that work sucks ? Is it a modern mind set to assume, that work is so inconvenient, that courses like rowing, meditating or crocheting have to lessen the pain ?
It’s ok to have leisure programs, but we should focus more on courses that enable people, on courses that enliven our intrinsic motivation, like:
- Sitting one day in the CEOs office and watch him work
- Being one day in the marketing department – and being allowed to make as much suggestions as possible
- Instead of group-rowing, group-meditation, group-crocheting (which can all be fun too): Meet in a group and define the next companies slogan (which is surely more fun, even for a passionated rower/guru/crochet master, because it’s so special and great)
- Meet the customers/users for a whole day. Without any task, just for watching them work, while being allowed to chat about anything both like.
- For the colleagues who are no programmers: Program a little feature. THAT will make them proud !
What else ? What would you offer that raises intrinsic motivation, instead of being a compensation for pain ? Because work IS NO PAIN, mankind LOVES playing/working/growing – LET OUR PEOPLE GROW !