Balancing Passion and Productivity

[tailfins]

Most of the participants on this board vote the same way. Yet I see all kinds of mud wrestling. Poor Jim. Then I wonder what if I gathered you all up and tried to manage you as an effective political organization. Passionate people get worked up. It's what separates them from the conformist drone sheep. How do you harness the energy of such people and benefit from their energy without everything decaying into a food fight?

It may surprise someone of you that I would even want Gabby in a non-political endeavor. I want people around that discourage mindless conformity which leads to a mediocre result.

[ConHog]

Most of the participants on this board vote the same way. Yet I see all kinds of mud wrestling. Poor Jim. Then I wonder what if I gathered you all up and tried to manage you as an effective political organization. Passionate people get worked up. It's what separates them from the conformist drone sheep. How do you harness the energy of such people and benefit from their energy without everything decaying into a food fight?

It may surprise someone of you that I would even want Gabby in a non-political endeavor. I want people around that discourage mindless conformity which leads to a mediocre result.

I don't doubt at all that if we all met in person behaviors would change. Internet anonymity leads to some strange behaviors for sure.

Not to mention I think a lot of people post on various boards drunk (I admit I have a time or two) and certainly we wouldn't allow that in a working environment.

[mundame]

Most of the participants on this board vote the same way. Yet I see all kinds of mud wrestling. Poor Jim. Then I wonder what if I gathered you all up and tried to manage you as an effective political organization. Passionate people get worked up. It's what separates them from the conformist drone sheep. How do you harness the energy of such people and benefit from their energy without everything decaying into a food fight?

It may surprise someone of you that I would even want Gabby in a non-political endeavor. I want people around that discourage mindless conformity which leads to a mediocre result.


Well, I'm......I'm glad to hear it!

What are you saying, that you don't want a group restricted to one point of view?

I am interested in that issue because I think a lot of forums go that way, purge everyone who doesn't think the party line, and then what they do for excitement is they inveigh against those awful X people in theory -- those people outside our closed group who are so awful.

I think it is a viable organizing principle, though it tends to lead to a lot of recipe exchanges (seriously. I've seen that happen.). But then, the group may WANT to just be friendly and talk about ....mundane things. After all, that's what in-person realworld groups have to do, or they break up. No talking about politics, religion, or money, remember the rule?

[fj1200]

How do you harness the energy of such people and benefit from their energy without everything decaying into a food fight?

Management; clearly defined roles and responsibilities and clear identification of the goal.

[tailfins]

Management; clearly defined roles and responsibilities and clear identification of the goal.

Roles are very well defined where I work.

I work in a very siloed, conformist company for the moment. Every time something breaks people want to schedule a meeting or put in a support ticket. When I fix something for them myself, the team looks at me like a fellow cave man that made a fire for the first time. I have had to stop people from making up extensive documentation about the problem complete with "twenty seven eight-by-ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one" since I had already fixed the issue. It's tempting to take the six figures and get used to being brain dead. I don't think I can bring myself to do it, though.

[mundame]

Roles are very well defined where I work.

I work in a very siloed, conformist company for the moment. Every time something breaks people want to schedule a meeting or put in a support ticket. When I fix something for them myself, the team looks at me like a fellow cave man that made a fire for the first time. I have had to stop people from making up extensive documentation about the problem complete with "twenty seven eight-by-ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one" since I had already fixed the issue. It's tempting to take the six figures and get used to being brain dead. I don't think I can bring myself to do it, though.

"You can get anything you want....."

;)

[aboutime]

Roles are very well defined where I work.

I work in a very siloed, conformist company for the moment. Every time something breaks people want to schedule a meeting or put in a support ticket. When I fix something for them myself, the team looks at me like a fellow cave man that made a fire for the first time. I have had to stop people from making up extensive documentation about the problem complete with "twenty seven eight-by-ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one" since I had already fixed the issue. It's tempting to take the six figures and get used to being brain dead. I don't think I can bring myself to do it, though.


tailfins. I know how you feel. I once showed about twenty different people how to make a good Toasted, Ham, and Cheese sandwich in less than a minute. And they all wanted to award me a NOBEL PRIZE for cooking. WAIT A SECOND....I'm not Obama! Forget that!

[fj1200]

Roles are very well defined where I work.

I work in a very siloed, conformist company for the moment. Every time something breaks people want to schedule a meeting or put in a support ticket. When I fix something for them myself, the team looks at me like a fellow cave man that made a fire for the first time. I have had to stop people from making up extensive documentation about the problem complete with "twenty seven eight-by-ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one" since I had already fixed the issue. It's tempting to take the six figures and get used to being brain dead. I don't think I can bring myself to do it, though.

As they should be but I thought you were talking about how to take the personalities of DP and put them to use in a different type of environment. And I agree with you but I also think that some here are very siloed and not open to suggestion.

[red states rule]

Roles are very well defined where I work.

I work in a very siloed, conformist company for the moment. Every time something breaks people want to schedule a meeting or put in a support ticket. When I fix something for them myself, the team looks at me like a fellow cave man that made a fire for the first time. I have had to stop people from making up extensive documentation about the problem complete with "twenty seven eight-by-ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one" since I had already fixed the issue. It's tempting to take the six figures and get used to being brain dead. I don't think I can bring myself to do it, though.

I have the opposite work environment. We are encouraged to think outside the box and if there is a way to cut through the red tape and solve the issue - we do it. For the most part the managers leave us alone, allow us to do our work without hovering over us, and we are left alone to get the correspondence answered and close out our cases

[gabosaurus]

I remain amused that so many of you believe I am a 24/7 political activist. In reality, the only time I ever think about political subjects is when I am on this board. When I shut off my laptop, I don't discern between conservatives and liberals. Nor do I care about religious differences.
The Muslims live next door to me. They are both physicians and make an unreal amount of money. Their kids are very polite and disciplined. Our daughters spend a lot of time together, mostly playing music (their daughter plays violin, mine plays piano).

Kids in secondary schools don't really care about the fiscal cliff or who is in office. They worry about who is dating who, their next exam and what they can get away with at home. If you want to see what is REALLY on your kid's mind, read their facebook or twitter. That is where they live.

My husband has a lot of serious back problems (Jim will identify with this), but he works a lot of hours because that is what his job requires. He handles the finances of some very wealthy people. Some of them are fairly squirrelly and need to be stroked a lot.

Our shared passion is our daughter. We have to balance work productivity with providing for her needs. Fortunately, we get a lot of help from our families.

[fj1200]

I remain amused that so many of you believe I am a 24/7 political activist.

I'm not sure anyone believes that. Your "knowledge" of things political rules that idea out.

[gabosaurus]

I have strong opinions. I'm not afraid to say what I think. That attitude offends a lot of close minded people.

[Kathianne]

I have strong opinions. I'm not afraid to say what I think. That attitude offends a lot of close minded people.

Gabby, I do think FJ was talking about your depth of knowledge on political issues, not your right to have an opinion. You've admitted to not having the time nor inclination to follow all the twists and turns. That's cool.

[ConHog]

I have strong opinions. I'm not afraid to say what I think. That attitude offends a lot of close minded people.Unless they happen to agree with those opinions, in which case any behavior is excused.


I Fixed that for you.

[red states rule]

I have strong opinions. I'm not afraid to say what I think. That attitude offends a lot of close minded people.

To bad many of you opinions are based of fallacies and not facts. As I posted previously Gabby - conservatives simply believe libs like you are wrong while libs like you believe conservatives are hatful

[ConHog]

To bad many of you opinions are based of fallacies and not facts. As I posted previously Gabby - conservatives simply believe libs like you are wrong while libs like you believe conservatives are hatful

stop acting like there aren't lots of so called conservatives on this board who couldn't care less about facts when forming their opinions.

[gabosaurus]

The majority of RSR's opinions are based on blatant stupidity. Which is why I no longer read anything he posts.

[red states rule]

With the help of two of our resident libs ConMan and Gabby I rest my case when it comes to liberal civility and willingness to have an open exchange of ideas and opinions

[ConHog]

With the help of two of our resident libs ConMan and Gabby I rest my case when it comes to liberal civility and willingness to have an open exchange of ideas and opinions

RSR, I'll remind you that once again I didn't call you any names in this thread.

Oh, also I'm not the one who posted that you should leave the board, some willingness to exchange ideas you have there.

[gabosaurus]

RSR is welcome to express and exchange any ideas he has.
That doesn't mean I have to read them. I have read enough of them in the past to know that they are not worth my time.
If you work on a farm, the animals are constantly talking to you. If you stopped to respond to each of them, it would negatively affect your productivity. You have to be selective in your responses.

[ConHog]

RSR is welcome to express and exchange any ideas he has.
That doesn't mean I have to read them. I have read enough of them in the past to know that they are not worth my time.
If you work on a farm, the animals are constantly talking to you. If you stopped to respond to each of them, it would negatively affect your productivity. You have to be selective in your responses.

Unfortunately many seem to think that a healthy exchange of ideas actually means ideas that agree with them.

Another thing I've noticed online is that people don't know the difference between an opinion and a fact.

[red states rule]

RSR is welcome to express and exchange any ideas he has.
That doesn't mean I have to read them. I have read enough of them in the past to know that they are not worth my time.
If you work on a farm, the animals are constantly talking to you. If you stopped to respond to each of them, it would negatively affect your productivity. You have to be selective in your responses.

Another example of your open mindedness Gabby. You claim to be one of the "smart people" yet you put on your running shoes every time you are confronted with facts, logic, reason and truth. Your state of CA is a perfect example of your tax and spend ideology. People and companies are fleeing the state and 5 counties have filed for bankruptcy. And you have no desire to discuss alternatives only to make the entire nation like CA

[ConHog]

Another example of your open mindedness Gabby. You claim to be one of the "smart people" yet you put on your running shoes every time you are confronted with facts, logic, reason and truth. Your state of CA is a perfect example of your tax and spend ideology. People and companies are fleeing the state and 5 counties have filed for bankruptcy. And you have no desire to discuss alternatives only to make the entire nation like CA

Again, there are LOTS of people who post in a thread, get owned by facts and run - or they just ignore the facts presented to them and keep screaming that their OPINION is right.

This baffles me, why can't people differentiate a fact from an opinion? I've often read people on here post that "your opinion is no more right than someone else's" when a poster posts facts and says that the other person is wrong about a fact. Then they look at you like your from outer space when you point out that facts are facts and opinions are opinions.

to me that's the biggest "issue" when discussing things on a message board. Too many people who just ignore facts when formulating their OPINIONS.