07/07/2026
Living in a time of cascading traumas out in the world, absolute dominance of capital over labor, and absolute dominance of technological shortcuts over hard-earned human skill, this ELGL Morning Buzz is aggressively out of step with the times.
I wrote it anyway because, well, it feels good to get good at stuff, and that has got to be worth something, even on the job.
In this article, I trace some of the leading thinking about the nature of intrinsic motivation. I argue that, especially in government where people willingly work harder for less pay in the service of communities, the pursuit of mastery in everyday skills can be a fresh and joyful new angle.
Have you ever been told to "keep your nose to the grindstone" or "just get it done," when what you're doing isn't your top skill or your favorite task? In , we may not have the luxury of time but inquiring into how the work could improve can pay off in many ways. Including, ahem, joy! 😄
In this morning's ELGL MorningBuzz, Raman Shah shares that when work matters, it is worth doing better.
Read on in the comments below! 👇