One common myth about money is falling into the fairness trap with value relativity. When the quality of work is hard to judge, we tend to value those who work longer and harder more highly. This is a fairness trap. A novice locksmith might take a long time to open a locked door, while an experienced one can do it instantly. People often pay higher wages to novice locksmiths who have spent more time working. Even if the lock is damaged due to clumsy work and they are charged for replacement, people might still tip because the locksmith worked hard and did his best for a long time. When paying for something that’s difficult to evaluate, people care about fairness. But the real reason to call a locksmith is to avoid the embarrassing situation of being unable to enter the house quickly. I don’t know if this is true, but a woman once asked Picasso to draw her portrait, and he did it in 30 seconds. When she asked how much she should pay, Picasso said her $500. She complained that this was o...
DuPont, a global chemical company, has one core value: Safety. The company is well known for adhering to its core values which stem from its historical background. DuPont began as a gunpowder manufacturer during the American Civil War. In 1884, DuPont's CEO, Lammot du Pont, was killed in an explosion. This accident stimulated the catalyst for DuPont's realization that safety should be a core value of the company. Here's a true story as an example. Two DuPont employees were on an overseas business trip and needed to take a taxi to a meeting, but the taxi only had seat belts on the passenger side. They would be late for the meeting, but DuPont policy dictated that only one person be put in the cab while the other took a different cab. Core values represent a company's identity and mission, and complying with them is a crucial challenge for any organization. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”