Inner energy — you are not a perpetual motion machine
According to what we were taught at school, you cannot build a perpetual motion machine as it is against the laws of thermodynamics. There is nothing in the world that can generate energy forever, without any energy source. Anyway, I am not going to teach you physics. Instead, I would like to write about the energy that drives us.
To raise their children, parents need a huge source of energy. If you have children, you know how much it takes to fulfil all the needs of your children. The necessary energy does not come from a vacuum as, again, it is against the laws of nature. In fact, it comes from your child who sends it back to you. It‘s easy – energy given to a child comes back to you. You do not expect a child to tell you: “Thank you mum and dad for being so supportive and for giving me food, clothes, for playing with me and raising me to be such a good person”. And you do not raise your children to listen to heart-warming declarations, though you may hear one during the wedding party when the newly married couple thank their parents for shaping them. Nevertheless, what really drives you during all those 25 years while raising your children, is the inner energy. You gain it when watching them grow, from their smiles, from raising them to be good people ready to face the challenge of adult life. When tired and upset because of work-related issued, you recharge your batteries when you come back home. Think about the moment you open the door and your child runs to you with a sheet of paper. First comes the hug, then, with contagious enthusiasm, your child shows you the painting. A minute earlier you were exhausted and all you dreamt about was to go to bed, or open a bottle of beer and watch TV lying on a couch for the rest of the day. Suddenly, you are ready to repay for the energy you have gained a few seconds ago.
The role of a Scrum Master is to help teams improve their performance, develop better software and eliminate waste. You do not expect that one day all the team members will say: “Listen, we are a great team now and we appreciate your involvement. Thank you”. Well, it would be fantastic to hear it, but it is only a pleasant bonus, such as winter tyres you get when buying a new car. No doubt, new tyres may improve your mood, but what really makes you happy is the new car. In this particular case, the real reward is to watch the team performing, to see the evolution in team members behaviour. This is the pure energy you receive to give it back to the team again. And the cycle continues. You give energy and you get energy back. You only have to notice it.
If you are a Developer, ask yourself why you are here. Are you here to write astonishing code and wait for the manager to appreciate your work and shake your hand? Or to shape the reality of e-commerce and to do cool stuff for millions of people in Poland who want to buy things online effortlessly? Or for those who started their business by selling on Allegro and have grown so much they need to employ hundreds of people? I have been living long enough to see how online sales have changed within last 10 years. This transition was shaped by those who derive their energy to work directly from the work itself.
You only have to find your source of energy. Energy which circulates between you and things you do.
What is your source of energy?
Does it come from you or from the outside world?
Is the power that drives you renewable? Or will it‘s resources be exhausted in a month or a year, and you will be forced to look for something else?