Login | Register


Pneumatics Blog

The Pneumatics Blog is the place for conversation and discussion about cylinders and actuators; valve manifolds; compressed air and vacuum systems; sensing & measurement; and air supply. Here, you'll find everything from application ideas, to news and industry trends, to hot topics and cutting edge innovations. This blog is inspired by the Pneumatics Now newsletter from GlobalSpec, which you can subscribe to here.

Previous in Blog: Get Out the Flyswatter   Next in Blog: Headed for Extinction?
Close

Comments Format:






Close

Subscribe to Discussion:

CR4 allows you to "subscribe" to a discussion
so that you can be notified of new comments to
the discussion via email.

Close

Rating Vote:







11 comments

What Keeps You Motivated?

Posted July 24, 2009 7:36 AM

Two thirds of respondents to the Design News 2009 Salary Survey "report that their companies have laid off engineers this year." Almost half say they have received no raise, while 15% absorbed pay cuts averaging 20%. Depressing news to be sure, but many say money's not their motivation. Job satisfaction, they claim, comes from "problem solving, technical challenges, and the opportunity to be creative." What about you?

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Pneumatics, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Pneumatics today.


Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.

Comments rated to be "almost" Good Answers:

Check out these comments that don't yet have enough votes to be "official" good answers and, if you agree with them, rate them!
Guru
Hobbies - CNC - New Member Hobbies - DIY Welding - New Member

Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 3046
Good Answers: 28
#1

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

07/24/2009 10:01 AM

love the work............putting bread on the table.

__________________
They say that there is only one universal language that everybody can understand and that is mathematics. I like to think there are two, with the other being humor.
Guru

Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: "Dancing over the abyss."
Posts: 3203
Good Answers: 163
#2

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

07/24/2009 10:35 PM

I like Samuel Flormans's 'existentialpleasureofengineering'as an explanation of why we engineer.

I like knowing that the steel will machine because i approved the chemistry modification; that the cooler in the satellite will work because I forbade the choice of an "outgassy" grade; that the seatbelts will hold the child seat in because of the quality system we deployed. etc. etc. times many decisions per day times many engineers in many companies in many countries...

Perhaps the only thing better than a cat with a crossbow is an engineer who has children to keep the brood safe. When that airplane lands safely, we can all say "yay team."

Because we did our best.

When we compromise our standards, well, people can die.

Job satisfaction is merely a perk. We engineer because we want the best for the world.

Lord knows the world can use our best.

milo

__________________
People say between two opposed opinions the truth lies in the middle. Not at all! Between them lies the problem, what is unseeable,eternally active life, contemplated in repose. Goethe
Guru
India - Member - New Member Engineering Fields - Electromechanical Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: India,
Posts: 750
Good Answers: 20
#3

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

07/24/2009 11:31 PM

If I can do something like this-

__________________
Jesus gave me message, Gandhi gave me method, M.L.K
Power-User

Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 350
Good Answers: 13
#4

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

07/25/2009 7:45 AM

* It is the motivation to make a earning that motivates people to go to work.

*It is the freedom, performance, successful performance gives the so called job satisfaction, a major motivational factor to perform.

*If the performance is recognized and you get rewarded, then this recognition and reward takes up the next step motivation.

*The misery to many people occurs at the recognition and implementation of ideas stage leading to frustrations and job quits.

The motivation to continue in a particular job in spite of set backs like lack of promotions, increments etc is mainly on grounds of poor external market or demand that every one will be waiting for the pause of hard times. In this situations wisdom based on reality is the motivation factor.

*It is all about trends and opportunities prevailing.

*The tendency to survive is the basic motivator for all our pursuits and luck is also an indirect motivator.

Commentator

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Baltimore
Posts: 75
Good Answers: 3
#5

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

07/25/2009 12:15 PM

I originally got involved with chemical engineering because as a kid I saw an oily substance being discharged from a factory into a river in my hometown. I decided I could be of more help fixing the twin problems of waste and pollution than fretting about them or carrying signs of protest. I could do more on the inside than the outside.

Since then I've saved millions (at least) of man-hours, tons of material wasted, BTU's lost, fishes being poisoned, and kept people happier and healthier because of what I helped make, or because of what wasn't made/wasted due to inputs from me and others like me.

Along the way, we serve customers as good stewards and as a result make money. Along the way, I try to motivate others to also contribute their best so we can all accomplish our diverse goals. It's also fun to compete as competitors in the market!

Score 1 for Good Answer
Member

Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 5
#6

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

07/27/2009 1:43 AM

What Keeps me motivated is the ability to fill my head with new stuff, and knowledge each and every day!!

Guest
#11
In reply to #6

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

08/05/2009 3:55 PM

I agree, i'm maintenance eng'r (electrical baised), with each new day/week coming up with new challenges. hardest challenge i find is that folk with no engineering knowledge, they take to much for granted - history is forgotten with aviation, road vechiles, shipping, communication etc. without people like newton, tesla, brunel etc where would the world be?. what keeps me motivated is the same as wissam and getting stuck into a challenge and resolving it (personally or team effort). >>> nothing more satisfying then seeing something working as you want - destroying when operatives abuse it in small fraction of the time and wreck it <<<

Associate

Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Guatemala
Posts: 44
Good Answers: 2
#7

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

07/27/2009 11:18 AM

I don´t understand what this discussion has to do with pneumatics?

Anyway, my motivation is the process of creation. I visualize something in my mind or someone gives me a problem to solve or the process can be optimized, I don´t know, any trigger will do. Then, analyzing the problem and finding a solution. Putting the solution to work and watch it work for all to see.

The tangible aspect that engineering gives you is great. You see your work in action. Things work, because you made your choice and your best effort to make them work.

__________________
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it. Henry Ford.
Power-User

Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Mexico and Brazil
Posts: 314
Good Answers: 2
#8

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

08/05/2009 10:54 AM

Money is not the main motivation if you are independently wealthy. If you are, you "work" in your field of expertise for distraction.

If you are not rich, you WORK to support your family with the MONEY you earn.

__________________
Life isnt about how you survived the storm... It's about how you danced in the rain!
Power-User

Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 350
Good Answers: 13
#9
In reply to #8

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

08/05/2009 11:08 AM

Tim in Mexico,

Obvious practical truth of course. Money is the best motivation factor that can get needs gratified. And we all got to run for making it. No match to money.

Power-User

Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Mexico and Brazil
Posts: 314
Good Answers: 2
#10
In reply to #9

Re: What Keeps You Motivated?

08/05/2009 11:19 AM

Absolutely not a match for money, think about feeding your family your titles or degrees. Or possibly driving your latest contribution to work?

Personally I would much rather buy what my family I need with the money earned for the work I have done.

Once most people climb down off there "soap box", I'm sure they would think the same.

__________________
Life isnt about how you survived the storm... It's about how you danced in the rain!
11 comments
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.

Comments rated to be "almost" Good Answers:

Check out these comments that don't yet have enough votes to be "official" good answers and, if you agree with them, rate them!
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

95324 (1), Guest (1), Mag (1), Milo (1), phoenix911 (1), rakesh_semwal (1), s.udhayamarthandan (2), Tim in Mexico (2), wissam (1)

Previous in Blog: Get Out the Flyswatter   Next in Blog: Headed for Extinction?
You might be interested in: Computers, All Types, Handheld and Portable Computers, Notebook and Laptop Computers