Meaning - Possible Strengths

Do you have these strengths? If not, how strongly does this factor apply to you?

• Social conscience - You want to improve society. You're concerned for employee welfare in your place of work and that of people in your community or the world at large. You might also take the lead in promoting a cleaner environment and better customer service. You promote services or products that make the world a better place. Otherwise, you feel that people should look out for themselves or turn to the government to help. You focus on your own success and pleasure.
• Perspective - You see the broader implications of immediate commercial decisions. You notice the impact of your organization's decisons on broader social or environmental imperatives. You question product safety and see the risks of untested products more readily than your colleagues. You take an interest in where your organization is going longer term and what it stands for. If you have less perspective, your focus will be on profitability, cost, quality, logistics and technical feasibility - immediate task, not broader implications of your organization's actions.
• Intrinsic motivation - You prefer work that is satisfying and meaningful to you regardless of any extrinsic rewards. You like work that you find satisfying in itself. It's not just a means of earning a living. You can be counted on to do your best regardless of how you are feeling about your career status or current reward package. If more extrinsically motivated, you will lose interest in what you are doing if you feel dissatisfied with your current career status or reward package.
• Selflessness - You make sacrifices for higher purposes - the welfare of others, the good of humanity, the betterment of your community or preserving the environment. This is a bit like being intrinsically motivated, except that you are much more prepared to put yourself out for whatever higher purpose inspires you. Your selflessness could even motivate you to risk your life or health for your goals. If not so selfless, you will want to be rewarded directly in accordance with your efforts and you will be concerned to ensure you get what is coming to you.

Potential pitfalls

• De-motivation - not enyoying a onesidedly commercial context
• Finances - not pushing hard to make more money
• Alienation - putting social conscience ahead of relationships with those who do not have your values
• Inflexibility - unwillingness to compromise, being difficult to work with
• Idealistic - expecting too much of modern organizations or people