This statement is false on two levels. All people are not inherently lazy; and "laziness" is more a function of the situation than an inherent individual characteristic.

If this statement is meant to imply that all people are inherently lazy, the evidence strongly indicated the contrary. Many people today suffer from the opposite afflictionthey are overly busy, overworked, and suffer from overexertion. Whether externally motivated or internally driven, a good portion of the labor force is anything but lazy.

Managers frequently draw that conclusion that people are lazy from watching some of their employees, who may be lazy at work. But these same employees are often quite industrious in one or more activities off the job. People have different sets of needs. Unfortunately for employers, work often ranks low in its ability to satisfy individual needs. So the same employee who shirks responsibility on the job may work obsessively on reconditioning an antique car, maintaining an award-winning garden, perfecting bowling skills, or selling Amway products on weekends. Very few people are perpetually lazy. They merely differ in terms of the activities they most enjoy doing. Any because work isn't important to everyone, they may appear lazy.

Class Exercise

Questions

1. What constitutes working hard on a team project?

2. What motivates them to work hard?

3. Why would a team member not work hard? Not carry his/her fair share?

4. How could they make the team project as important to the other team members as it is to them?