Comments on: So, what exactly is gumption? http://www.gumption.com/blog/2007/05/02/so-what-exactly-is-gumption/ Resisting Gumption Traps Since 1995 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:10:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Jaap Hazewinkel http://www.gumption.com/blog/2007/05/02/so-what-exactly-is-gumption/comment-page-1/#comment-903 Jaap Hazewinkel Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:10:57 +0000 http://www.gumption.com/?p=3#comment-903 Yes I remember gumption from my readings and rereadings of "Zen". Refocused on this word last week. A guy in the management development program where I work focused on the leadership competency "passion for XXX" (not material where I work, but Pirsig wrote some user manuals for that company a long long time ago). He was puzzled about the topic and we discussed freely and we concluded that being passionate about something requires you to understand it and connect with it regularly. I can be passionate for golf but not for curling, so to say. We concluded that "passion" in this sense actually would better translate to gumption, as when you like your work you can be passionate about it and you get more energy out of it than you put into it (and as you're passionate you put lots of energy into it anyway!). For managers it becomes interesting as a competency as the challenge is to fill your employees with passion for the business. Then Pirsig comes back to help us out with all the gumption traps & how to avoid them.... Surely I am preferring the carrot over the stick. Has anybody been working on this college material on gumption that Pirsig envisioned? Is this the right platform to blog on encountered gumption traps and how you worked them? Here is a start: whether you're an employee or a manager, we all get our challenges in our daily work. We need to cope with them to keep either our bosses or customers happy. But they are gumption absorbers. If you did what they ask you, you "just" did what was requested (and they will let you know that they didn't expect anything less). Try putting 70% only in this and reserve the other 30% for the topics that you put for yourself as your ambition in the business you're in. You will get something done, satisfy yourself, get gumption out of it and most likely your bosses or customers will be happily surprised and praise you for your productivity.... It's all a win-win... Happy to receive feedback on these thoughts. Cheers, Jaap. Yes I remember gumption from my readings and rereadings of “Zen”. Refocused on this word last week. A guy in the management development program where I work focused on the leadership competency “passion for XXX” (not material where I work, but Pirsig wrote some user manuals for that company a long long time ago).
He was puzzled about the topic and we discussed freely and we concluded that being passionate about something requires you to understand it and connect with it regularly. I can be passionate for golf but not for curling, so to say. We concluded that “passion” in this sense actually would better translate to gumption, as when you like your work you can be passionate about it and you get more energy out of it than you put into it (and as you’re passionate you put lots of energy into it anyway!).
For managers it becomes interesting as a competency as the challenge is to fill your employees with passion for the business. Then Pirsig comes back to help us out with all the gumption traps & how to avoid them….
Surely I am preferring the carrot over the stick.

Has anybody been working on this college material on gumption that Pirsig envisioned? Is this the right platform to blog on encountered gumption traps and how you worked them?

Here is a start: whether you’re an employee or a manager, we all get our challenges in our daily work. We need to cope with them to keep either our bosses or customers happy. But they are gumption absorbers. If you did what they ask you, you “just” did what was requested (and they will let you know that they didn’t expect anything less).
Try putting 70% only in this and reserve the other 30% for the topics that you put for yourself as your ambition in the business you’re in. You will get something done, satisfy yourself, get gumption out of it and most likely your bosses or customers will be happily surprised and praise you for your productivity…. It’s all a win-win…

Happy to receive feedback on these thoughts.
Cheers, Jaap.

]]> By: RaiulBaztepo http://www.gumption.com/blog/2007/05/02/so-what-exactly-is-gumption/comment-page-1/#comment-690 RaiulBaztepo Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:15:41 +0000 http://www.gumption.com/?p=3#comment-690 Hello! Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource! PS: Sorry for my bad english, I'v just started to learn this language ;) See you! Your, Raiul Baztepo Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language ;)
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo

]]> By: daryl http://www.gumption.com/blog/2007/05/02/so-what-exactly-is-gumption/comment-page-1/#comment-2 daryl Thu, 03 May 2007 03:35:52 +0000 http://www.gumption.com/?p=3#comment-2 Thomas, Let me be the first to add my voice to the gumption blog! Your first entry stuck a chord with me, and I am utterly confident that you understand where I am coming from. I think that there are many of us that can (sadly) relate to the draining of our <i>precious bodily gumption</i> on a daily basis. Heeding the mind numbing battle cry of <i>More Work, Make Less</i> begins to take it's mental, physical, and spiritual toll after a period of time. I refuse to be a disposable asset. The real question is one of terminal velocity. That is to say, the key to real success is understanding when you have reached the point in your career at which the laws of corporate physics will prevent you from moving any faster. I know that speed is different for all of us but you know intuitively when you reach it. I am close. Keeping track of your progress has helped to push me ever so much closer. For that I owe you a debt of gratitude. Daryl Thomas,

Let me be the first to add my voice to the gumption blog!

Your first entry stuck a chord with me, and I am utterly confident that you understand where I am coming from. I think that there are many of us that can (sadly) relate to the draining of our precious bodily gumption on a daily basis. Heeding the mind numbing battle cry of More Work, Make Less begins to take it’s mental, physical, and spiritual toll after a period of time.

I refuse to be a disposable asset.

The real question is one of terminal velocity. That is to say, the key to real success is understanding when you have reached the point in your career at which the laws of corporate physics will prevent you from moving any faster. I know that speed is different for all of us but you know intuitively when you reach it. I am close. Keeping track of your progress has helped to push me ever so much closer.

For that I owe you a debt of gratitude.

Daryl

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