|
|
The New Yorker did an article on Enron on how they rewarded talented people in their organization. Buried in the article is an interesting observation:
...[Carol Dweck, psychologist at Columbia U] gave a class of preadolescent students a test filled with challenging problems. After they were finished, one group was praised for its effort and another group was praised for its intelligence. Those praised for their intelligence were reluctant to tackle difficult tasks, and their performance on subsequent tests soon began to suffer. Then Dweck asked the children to write a letter to students at another school, describing their experience in the study. She discovered something remarkable: forty per cent of those students who were praised for their intelligence lied about how they had scored on the test, adjusting their grade upward. They weren't naturally deceptive people, and they weren't any less intelligent or self-confident than anyone else. They simply did what people do when they are immersed in an environment that celebrates them solely for their innate "talent." They begin to define themselves by that description, and when times get tough and that self-image is threatened they have difficulty with the consequences. They will not take the remedial course. They will not stand up to investors and the public and admit that they were wrong. They'd sooner lie.
How many times have you played with a musician who has "a lot of talent." I know I've sat through quite a few times with musicians like that. I've also spent a lot of time with people who worked hard on their craft. Without exception, I would always prefer to work with a musician who has expended more effort on their art than one who has a mountain of talent but doesn't work on it. Always.
Thanks to Robert for the tip.
Posted by Casper at October 28, 2004 06:09 PM