Perception Business Psychologists
Psychology at work

 

 

 

 

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We are interested in collecting quotes and interesting items about work. It is surprising how some old quotes remain very pertinent today.

Here are a few examples, if you have any more please let us know.

Job Satisfaction
"In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed; they must be fit for it; they must not do too much of it; and they must have a sense of success in it."
John Ruskin 1851

"Find a job that you really like and you will never do a day’s work in your life"
Not Known

Team work
"We trained very hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganised. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress, while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation."
Gaius Petronius AD 66

Stress
"One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important"
Bertrand Russell
Conquest of Happiness Ch 5 (1930)

Sigmund Freud
"No other technique for the conduct of life attaches the individual so firmly to reality as laying emphasis on work; for his work at least gives him a secure place in a portion of reality, in the human community."
 

Indira Gandhi
"My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition."

Warren Beatty
"You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what you're doing is work or play."

Marsha Sinetar
"Work needs to fit our personalities, just as shoes need to fit our feet."

Montague Burton (1885-1952)
"A Business must have a conscience as well as a counting house."

Buckingham and Coffman (1999)
"People don't change that much. Don't waste time trying to put in what was left out. Try to draw out what was left in. That is hard enough."

Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.

David McCullough (1933 - )
Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.

Edgar Bergen (1903 - 1978), (Charlie McCarthy)
Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?

Robert Benchley (1889 - 1945)
Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at the moment.

Finally here is a notice to employees written around 1840 that shows how much work has changed over time.

Notice to Employees

Godliness and punctuality are the necessities of a good business.

This firm has reduced the hours of work and the clerical staff will now only have to be present between the hours of 7 am and 6 pm on weekdays.

Daily prayers will be held each morning in the main office. The clerical staff will be present.

Clothing must be of a sober nature. The clerical staff will not disport themselves in raiment of bright colours, nor will they wear hose, unless in good repair.

Overshoes and topcoats may not be worn in the office, but neck scarves and headwear may be worn in inclement weather.

A stove is provided for the benefit of clerical staff. Coal and wood must be kept in the locker. It is recommended that each member of the clerical staff bring in 4 pounds of coal each day during cold weather.

No member of the clerical staff may leave the room without permission from Mr Rogers. The calls of nature are permitted and the clerical staff may use the garden below the second gate. This area must be kept in good order.

No talking is allowed during business hours.

The craving for tobacco, wines or spirits is a human weakness and as such is forbidden to all members of the clerical staff.

Now that the hours of business have been so drastically reduced, the partaking of food is only allowed between 11.30 am and noon but work will not on any account cease.

Members of the clerical staff will provide their own pens. A new sharpener is available on application to Mr Rogers.

Mr Rogers will nominate a senior clerk to be responsible for the cleanliness of the main office and the private office, and all boys and juniors will report to him before prayers, and will remain after closing hours for similar work. Brushes, brooms, scrubbers and soap are provided by the owners.

The new increased weekly wages are as hereunder detailed: Junior boys (up to 11 years) 1s 4d. Boys (to 14 years) 2s 1d. Juniors 4s 8d. Junior clerks 8s 7d. Clerks 10s 9d. Senior clerks (after 15 years with owners) 21s.

The owners recognise the generosity of the new Labour Laws, but will expect a great rise in output of work to compensate for these near utopian conditions.
C1840

 

                                           

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