“stalwart Workers”: Neglected Backbone Of The Firm

Writing in a Harvard Business Review blog, professor Thomas J. DeLong talks about "Stalwart Workers," a neglected part of the workforce who don't live to work, don't crave promotion, but constitute the backbone of the organization:

Myth #1: Stars are smarter than Stalwarts. Stalwarts are not necessarily less intelligent than Stars. Achievement is a complicated blend of intelligence, motivation, and personality. Research confirms that insight; dozens of psychological studies have demonstrated that Stars and Stalwarts differ at least as much in temperament as intelligence.

Myth #2: Everybody is the same. Not every employee wants to give his all (or even his best) to the organization, leaving little time and energy for people and passions outside the workplace. Stalwarts place a high premium on work-life balance, and they highly value the time they spend with family and friends. In fact, many of the most productive Stalwarts are recovered Stars who, for a variety of personal reasons, have made a conscious decision to drop off the fast track.

Myth #3: Everybody wants the same thing out of work. Leaders often assume that all of their followers share their drive for power, status, and money. That's just not so. Many Stalwarts want to influence others in their jobs. Others value autonomy, creative opportunities, or the chance to develop unique expertise.

Stop Ignoring the Stalwart Worker (via Beth Pratt)

(Image: Cartoon Cards Game, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from andertoons-cartoons's photostream)

“Stalwart Workers”: neglected backbone of the firm

Backlink: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/hhmmaF8lEjI/stalwart-workers-neglected-backbone-of-the-firm.html

Groupon China Venture Said To Fire Workers For Poor Performance

A large number of workers at Groupon's China joint venture have been fired for poor performance, a person with knowledge of the matter said

Groupon China Venture Said to Fire Workers for Poor Performance

Backlink: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/groupon-china-venture-said-to-fire-workers-for-poor-performance-08242011.html

Verizon Workers Ending Strike Helps Carrier Mitigate Losses

Aug. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Verizon Communications Inc. said 45,000 striking workers will begin returning to the job tonight while talks continue, a truce that may help the carrier avoid losses a prolonged walkout would have caused.

Verizon Workers Ending Strike Helps Carrier Mitigate Losses

Backlink: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-22/verizon-workers-ending-strike-helps-carrier-mitigate-losses.html

Fukushima: First Photojournalist Inside Plant Captures Daily Life Of Cleanup Workers

25-year old Kazuma Obara (Twitter), a native of Japan's tsunami-hit Iwate prefecture, is the first photojournalist to enter the Fukushima Daiichi plant and photograph what conditions are like for the cleanup workers.

Fukushima: First photojournalist inside plant captures daily life of cleanup workers

Backlink: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/DE2R7nDLyMM/fukushima.html

Fukushima Workers Face “nightmarish World Of High Radiation, Difficult Terrain”

[video link] UK's Channel Four has a news feature out on the plight of the 3,000 workers currently being bussed into the Fukushima Daiichi plant on behalf of some 600 subcontractor companies tasked with securing and cleaning up the nuclear … Continue reading →

Want Creative Workers? Loosen The Reins, Boss

Philip Glass, the contemporary composer, works on his new compositions only between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. That’s the time, he says, when his creative ideas come to him. When filmmaker George Lucas needs to write or edit a script, he sequesters himself in a small cottage behind his house where he gets no calls or visitors.

Want Creative Workers? Loosen the Reins, Boss

Backlink: http://danielgoleman.info/2011/06/02/want-creative-workers-loosen-the-reins-boss/

Obama Freezes Pay for Federal Workers

President Obama announced a freeze as a way to address deficit concerns before a meeting with Congressional leaders.

Obama Freezes Pay for Federal Workers

Backlink: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=1673b33235e764b1b567b1e85de82b80