激励与纪律 / Motivation Versus Discipline

激励与纪律

赴美国和其他国家留学的中国年轻人正越来越多。近年来，这种现象逐渐向低龄化发展，很多人的留学生涯提前到了高中阶段。

这一现象背后的原因很多，很明显的一点就是人们希望追求有别于国内高等教育的学习环境，特别是重视创新、创意、团队合作和沟通技巧的学习。

整个求学过程从选择申请学校开始，历经递交申请、等候入学通知等环节，给学生及学生家长平添了很多烦恼，更不用说高额的费用。

一位在北京的中国朋友跟我转述了一段他跟女儿之间的对话，他女儿刚完成几所美国大学的考试和申请。女孩儿被要求用英文写一篇论文，内容是关于激励和纪律哪个更重要的问题，还要举出相应的论据。

后来她问父亲会如何作答，还问他觉得怎么回答才是正确答案。

父亲的回答是：纪律更重要。

但女孩在论文里却表达了不同的观点，她回答说二者之中，激励更为重要。

爸爸问她为什么，女孩儿给他讲了一个虚构的小男孩儿的故事。他从小就被父母督促，每天拉好几个小时的小提琴。

孩子小的时候很需要父母的引导，很可能会遵守必要的纪律，完成每天严格的训练。

但是，随着他慢慢长大，他会开始更加独立的思考，对事情的轻重缓急会形成自己的判断，可能会对因为投入大量时间拉琴而放弃了其它爱好表现得比较消极。

在这个阶段，光有纪律，没有激励就不足以让他坚持下去。换句话说，没有激励的纪律不会长久。

我朋友被他女儿的答案震撼了，他认为女儿的回答比他更胜一筹。

这考题当然不是我出的，但我猜出题的人旨在考察学生的分析能力和英文写作能力。也就是说，无论哪种答案都是对的，只要你的解释合乎逻辑，并且能用英语清楚地陈述观点就行。

但在实际管理中，答案就不可能二者皆可了。

优秀的经理人和领导者会建立一种激励与纪律并存的文化。二者缺一不可，否则就像鸟儿失去了一侧翅膀。

在成功的道路上，年轻人最重要的就是要找到自己热衷的事情。如果未来的事业能以此为中心或者与此相关——无论它是什么——成就感和幸福感都会大大提高。

家长和老师们如果能够牢记这一点，帮助年轻人找到他们的激情所在，而不只是单纯看重纪律和考试成绩，可就算是为孩子们作了件大好事了。

Motivation Versus Discipline

A growing number of young Chinese people are pursing higher education in the U.S. and other overseas countries. In recent years, more are beginning the process at an earlier age, by attending secondary school overseas as well.

The underlying reasons for this are many. Clearly, one point of appeal is the pursuit of a learning environment different from that of higher education in China, especially with regards to fostering innovation, creativity, teamwork and communication skills.

The whole process, starting with selection of which schools to apply to, completion and submission of applications, waiting for the news about admission, and so on, creates high anxiety for students as well as parents. Not to mention high costs.

A Chinese friend in Beijing told me of a conversation he had with his daughter after she had completed the testing and application process for several U.S. universities. She was asked to write an essay in English on the question of which is more important: motivation or discipline, including the reasoning in support of her answer.

Later, she asked her Dad how he would have answered the question, and which one he thought would be considered the correct answer for the purposes of the test.

His answer: discipline is more important.

She had taken a different view in her essay, answering that motivation is the more important of the two.

Her Father asked her why, and she cited the hypothetical example of a young boy pushed by his parents to practice the violin for many hours each day, from a very young age.

When he's young and heavily subject to parental guidance, he will most likely develop the necessary discipline to complete his rigorous daily practice routine.

But as he gets older, begins to think more independently and prioritize things for himself, he may react very negatively to the huge time commitment involved in this one pursuit, at the expense of other interests.

At that stage, discipline will not be sufficient to sustain his effort, in the absence of motivation. In other words, discipline without motivation is not sustainable.

My friend was impressed by his daughter's answer to the question, which he agreed was superior to his own.

Obviously, I didn't write the test, but I guess those that did were aiming to test the student's reasoning ability as well as ability to write an essay in English. In other words, either answer can be considered correct, depending on how well you explain your logic and express your arguments in English.

In the world of management, it cannot be an either-or answer.

Great managers and leaders develop a culture imbued with both motivation and discipline. One without the other is like a bird with one wing.

On the road to success, one of the most important discoveries a young person can make is finding something they are passionate about. If they can build their career path around this or related to this -- whatever it may be -- their prospects of achieving greatness and happiness will be significantly enhanced.

Parents and teachers would do their children a big favor by bearing this in mind, and helping young people discover their individual passion, rather than focusing only on discipline and test results.