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Li Rui
15 years in Technical Field

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

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English to Chinese: The Psychological Contract: The Ticket to Enjoying One’s Work

Source text - English
The Psychological Contract: The Ticket to Enjoying One’s Work
by Harvey A. Levine
In my recent book “Practical Project Management: Tips, Tactics, and Tools” (John Wiley & Sons, 2002) there is a chapter entitled: “The Psychological Contract: How to Stimulate Initiative and Innovation in any Organization”. The psychological contract is a concept, developed by Edgar Schien, for creating a working environment between a manager and subordinate that vastly enhances the probability of a productive and satisfying engagement.
How to Stifle Motivated Individuals
It’s a familiar story, being played out daily, all over the world. Joe Engineer (anyone, anywhere) puts in his 40 hours, and then some. But he’s not happy. He has talents that are not being used. He is being asked to do things that are not consistent with his skills, his calling, or his goals. He feels that he is not getting the respect that he deserves.

Joe puts in his 40, but begrudgingly. Then, to work out his frustration, his puts the rest of his abundant time and energy into other activities. But he suffers from this situation. The job is more stressful than it need be. And if only Joe could be motivated to put his talent and energies into his job, both Joe and the firm could benefit greatly.
As prevalent as this set of circumstances is, a solution is readily available, at no cost. It is called the Psychological Contract.
Motivation
Let’s start with this issue of motivation. Joe doesn’t need to be motivated. Given the proper environment, Joe would be happy to put in twice his weekly 40. And all he would want in return is a chance to use his talents, to work on projects that match his skills and interest, to get some sign of appreciation – even some recognition for his contributions, and, through these accomplishments, to gain the opportunity for even more challenging and rewarding assignments in the future.
As a senior manager, I would jump for joy to have someone like Joe on my team. But, while the world is full of Joe’s, many of our senior managers stifle, rather than motivate such people. How often have you heard a manager ask a subordinate “what would you like to do here?” Hell, no! More often it’s “I’ll tell you just what to do and what not to do. And you’ll do as I say because I am the boss and I can hurt you if you challenge me.”
Now, here’s where the psychological contract comes in. Almost four decades ago, Edgar H. Schien wrote: "an organization cannot function unless the members consent to the operating authority system, and that this consent hinges upon the upholding of the psychological contract between the organization and the member.";While we may have questioned this position on authority twenty years ago, we certainly can see that it has become more of the norm as we enter the 21st century.(1)
Schien makes the following assumptions about the characteristics of today's psychologically healthy and productive individuals.
• These people have an inherent need to use their capacities and skills in a mature and productive way.
• They seek to make their work more interesting, challenging, and meaningful.
• They thirst for a sense of pride and self-esteem.
The Psychological Contract
According to Schien, for these individuals to achieve these goals in the workplace, and to obtain satisfaction from their work, depends to a large measure on two conditions.
• First, is the degree in which their own expectations of what the organization will provide them and what they owe the organization, match what the organization's expectations are of what it will give and get.
• Second (assuming that there is an agreement on expectations) is what is actually exchanged -- money in exchange for time at work; social-need satisfaction and security in exchange for work and loyalty; opportunities for self-actualization and challenging work in exchange for high productivity, quality work, and creative effort in the service of organizational goals; or various combinations of these and other things.
So, recognizing Schien’s observations and concepts, I propose the most audacious thing. I propose that the manager assume the role as a partner with the subordinate. Here’s how it works.
• The prospective manager discusses her needs. She spells out her expectations and explains what she has to offer in return.
• The prospective subordinate expresses what she feels that she has to offer in this position, and what she expects to get out of it.
• The two parties negotiate a working relationship that is based on a mutual set of needs and expectations. They arrive at a win-win situation that places both parties as co-equal colleagues, even if the agreement recognizes the basic manager-subordinate hierarchy. Mutual trust and respect form the foundation for the relationship.
Can this Work in a Projects Environment?
In a recent discussion with a colleague, we reminisced about times in our careers where we had established a psychological contract for an assignment and how rewarding it had become. However, I realized during that discussion that the application of the psychological contract concept is much more difficult when we are talking about a project team assignment, as opposed to a traditional functional assignment.
The typical project environment presents several challenges. We all know about the challenges to bring projects in on schedule and under budget. We recognize that many projects involve doing something for the first time or other “discovery” issues. Risk and uncertainty are common bedfellows on projects.
But of all the challenges facing us in the project environment, number one is people. I’m not talking about dealing with scarce resources, although that is virtually ubiquitous in the world of projects. No, the key issue is how we bring people together to work on projects. What we have in projects is perhaps the most difficult working environment that we can ask people to overcome.
If I dare to describe a typical working atmosphere for skilled people (those commonly found in responsible project positions), it would present the following conditions. They would want to be able to contribute to project success by applying their knowledge and skills to the job. They would expect to be rewarded for doing this. They would expect to have reasonably defined relationships with the rest of the organization. They would expect to have the respect of others in the organization.
In the traditional, functionally oriented organization, these expectations are attainable (if the expectations are communicated and discussed). In this traditional environment, a person is usually interviewed for a position and the opportunity exists for all parties to discuss expectations, rewards, relationships, responsibilities, and so forth. The situation, once established, tends to be quite stable over a long period of time.
Editor’s note: For a detailed discussion of how this is accomplished, please read Harvey Levine’s two papers on the “Psychological Contract” on the Sciforma website. Go to:
http://www.sciforma.com/resources/white_papers/Psychological_Contract_P1.htm and http://www.sciforma.com/resources/white_papers/Psychological_Contract_P2.htm
Now consider each of these expectations when an individual is assigned to a project team. The team members are thrown together, on short notice. These are temporary assignments and some team members may be placed on multiple assignments. Leadership responsibility is usually poorly defined. There may not be a defined hierarchy, and leadership of the team may float with the area of current focus.
The Psychological Contract and Projects
Essentially, most of the conditions needed to apply the psychological contract concept would exist in the Projects environment. There are at least three elements that are different and present a challenge.
• The assignment is likely to be for a shorter period of time
• The Project Manager is likely to have less of a say over the team members’ working environment than a functional manager
• The subordinate may be supporting multiple project managers.
Nevertheless, these are challenging conditions, rather than defeating conditions. The psychological contract can work, but it will be a bit more complicated.
In this Projects environment, the negotiations would involve three parties: the project manager, the functional manager and the team member. It starts with an operating psychological contract between the functional manager and the subordinate. When it comes time for the functional manager to allocate people to the project, the functional manager should meet with the project manager and discuss personnel needs. This is a normal routine, even without the psychological contract process. Selection of personnel for the project should be based on skills and availability, but also (where possible) the likelihood of a reasonable psychological contract between the project manager and the team member.
Next, the prospective team member meets with the project manager to discuss the assignment. The normal psychological contract process is employed, with both parties expressing needs and what they have to offer.
In the best of worlds, the enlightened and caring functional manager strives to build a psychological contract with each of his reports. He then follows that up by facilitating psychological contracts between his subordinates and the project managers to which they will be assigned. In the best of worlds, the subordinate completes his assignment to the project with success and satisfaction, knowing that he has kept his part of the bargain and his managers have kept theirs.
How often do we get an opportunity to gain so much without having to give up anything in return? The psychological contract is the ticket.
(1)Schien, E. H. Organizational Psychology, 2nd Ed. Prentice-Hall, 1970, Pg. 18
copyright © 2003 Harvey Levine. All rights reserve

Translation - Chinese
心理契约:享受工作的钥匙
在我最近的新书《项目管理实践：诀窍、策略与工具》（John Wiley $ Sons 出版社，2002）中有一章题为：“心理契约：如何在组织中刺激创造与创新”。心理契约是一个由埃德加•席恩（Edgar Schien）提出的概念，其目的是为了在管理者和下属之间创造一个可以极大地提高生产力与满意度的工作环境。
创造性个体如何被扼杀
这是一个熟悉的故事，每日都在世界的各个角落上演。工程师乔（可能是任何人、任何地方）将他的每周40小时投入到工作中，有时可能是40小时的一部分。但他并不快乐。他的才干没有充分发挥出来。他被要求做与他的技巧、他的愿望或者他的目标相违背的事情。他觉得他没有得到他应得的尊重。
乔虽然投入了他的40小时，但却带着抱怨。因此，为了解除他的挫折感，他将他的多余时间和精力投入到了其他活动中。但他得为此付出代价，他的工作将承受比原来更大的压力。然而如果乔受到激励将他的才能和精力用于工作之中，乔和公司都能极大地受益。
象这种状况一样普遍地是，一种可行的解决方式已经出现，而且无需成本。这就是心理契约。
激励
让我们从这一激励机制地运行开始。乔不需要被激励。只要给予合适的环境，他会愉快地投入两倍于他的每周40。所有他希望得到的回报不过是给他一个可以发挥他的才能，与他的技巧与兴趣相匹配的项目的机会，令自己有被欣赏的感觉——甚至于只是对自己贡献的确认，进而，通过这些成绩获得在未来被分配给更富有挑战性和成就感的工作的机会。
作为一个高层管理者，我会为有乔这样的人加入我的团队欢呼雀跃。然而，虽然这个世界满是象乔这样的人，我们的许多高层管理者却是去扼杀而不是激励他们。你常听到一个管理者这样问他的下属吗：“你喜欢在我们这儿做些什么？”很不幸，没有。更多是这样对下属说：“我会告诉你什么该做什么不该做，你必须照我说的去做因为我是老板，如果你胆敢挑战我的权威我会给你好看。”
这就是心理契约起作用的地方。大约40年前，埃德加•席恩写道：“一个组织无法正常运作除非其成员认同其运行系统的权威，正是这一认同缔结了组织和成员之间的心理契约”;20年前我们也许会置疑这一观点，然而在进入21世纪的今天，我们可以看到此观点已成为一种准则。引1
席恩对于现代心理健康和有建设性的个人特征做了如下假定：
 这些人有成熟而富于建设性地运用其能力和技能的固有需求。
 他们追求令他们的工作更有趣、有挑战性和有意义。
 他们渴求骄傲与自尊。
心理契约
根据席恩的观点，这些个体为了在工作中达到他们的目的并且从工作中获得满足，很大程度上取决于以下两点：
 首先取决于在多大程度上他们所期望组织给予他们的和他们希望贡献给组织的同组织所期望给予和获得的相契合。
 其次（假设双方有一个关于期望值的协议）是实际发生的交换钱同工作时间的交换；社会需求满足与安定同工作和忠诚的交换；自我实现与工作挑战同高效率、高素质工作以及服务于组织目标的创造性努力的交换；或者上述以及其他方面的组合。
因此，基于席恩的观察和概念，我提出如下大胆建议。我建议管理者将其与下属的关系看作伙伴关系。以下是其作用机制：
 未来的管理者讨论她的需求。她说出她的期望并解释她将提供的回报。
 未来的下属表达她认为她在其职位上应该提供的东西以及应该避免的东西。
 双方协商达成基于相互要求与期望的工作关系。她们达到将双方置于平等合作的同事关系的双赢状况，即使协议确认了基本的管理者与下属之间的等级。相互信任与尊重是形成这一关系的基础。
这一机制是否能在项目环境中发生作用？
在我最近同同僚的讨论中，我们回忆起在我们的职业生涯中何时就我们的工作安排和如何取得回报达成心理契约。然而在讨论中我意识到心理契约在项目团队的工作安排中的应用是和在传统的以职能分配工作中的应用有很大不同的。
标准的项目环境有几项挑战。我们都知道使项目按计划和控制在预算内的挑战。我们也知道许多项目需要处理一些第一次遭遇到的事务或者“发现”一些其它的事务。风险与不确定性总是与项目相伴而行。
但是在所有的我们必须面对的项目环境挑战中，第一位的是人。我不是谈论稀缺资源，虽然这是项目世界里到处存在的问题。不，最重要的一点是如何将人组织起来为项目工作。这也许是我们在项目中需要人们去克服的最困难的工作环境。
在此笔者冒昧地描述一下技术人员（他们通常处于项目的责任岗位上）的标准工作氛围。他们希望应用他们的知识和技能于工作中来为项目的成功做出贡献。他们也希望因此获得回报。他们也希望和组织的其余部分的关系得到合理地明确。他们希望获得组织中其他人的尊敬。
在传统的、以功能为导向的组织中，这些愿望是可以得到满足的（如果这些愿望得到沟通和讨论地话）。在这一传统环境中，一个人为了获得职位或者存在的机会必须接受各方的面试，以便就期望、回报、关系、责任等等进行讨论。这些条件一旦确定将会在一个长时期内相当稳定。
原英文编者注：关于如何达到这一点的详细讨论，请参阅哈维•莱文(Harvey Levine)发表于Sciform网站上的关于“心理契约”的两篇论文：
http://www.sciforma.com/resources/white_papers/Psychological_Contract_P1.htm 和 http://www.sciforma.com/resources/white_papers/Psychological_Contract_P2.htm
现在考虑每个个体被分配到项目团队中各自不同的期望。一纸通知，团队成员被扔在了一起。这只是一个临时的分配而且有的团队成员可能要身兼多职。领导的责任通常没有被很好的规定。那儿也可能没有定义好的等级，团队的领导也可能因为当前焦点的不同而变动。
心理契约与项目
重要的是，大多数应用心理契约概念要求的条件项目环境必须具备。这里至少有三点能构成挑战的重要差别。
 工作分配可能是短期的；
 相比职能经理，可能项目经理对团队成员的工作环境的发言权更少；
 下属可能需支持多个项目经理。
然而这些是挑战性条件，并非注定失败的条件。心理契约可以起作用，但是要稍微复杂一些。
这个项目环境中，协调必须在三方之间进行：项目经理、职能经理和团队成员。首先从职能经理和其下属的心理契约运行开始。当职能经理要召集人员到项目中时，他需要同项目经理探讨团队成员的需求。这是一个惯例，即使没有心理契约的过程也应该如此。选择项目人员应该基于技能和可能性，但也（如果可能的话）应考虑项目经理和团队成员间合理的心理契约的相似性。
下一步，未来的团队成员与项目经理就工作安排进行讨论。通常的心理契约过程在此实现，基于双方各自表达其需求的与其所需付出的。
在最好的情况下，开明而且关心员工的职能经理努力根据其每一份报告寻求建立一个心理契约。他据此来使其下属与将要分配去的项目的项目经理之间的心理契约易于建立。在最好的情况下，下属满意而且成功地完成其分配的项目，知道他和他的管理者都各自保有讨价还价的余地。
我们如何才能事半功倍？心理契约是一把合适的钥匙。

引1：引自席恩《组织心理学》第2版第18页，Prentice-Hall出版社1970年出版

2003哈维•莱文版权所有

Energy, Ohter, Project Management

Master's degree - Webster University

Years of translation experience: 15. Registered at ProZ.com: Jul 2005. Became a member: Nov 2008.

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About me

Chinese Name: Li Rui
English Name: :Ray

15 year experiences in Civil Engineering Field and related technical translations
15 year experiences in Electric Power Project and related technical translations
12year international trade and international project translation experiences
5 year oversea working experiences (2 years in Cambodia since 2000 and 2 years in Pakistan).
B.S. of Chinese well known Tongji University
IMBA of Webster University, USA
PMP certified since 2005
Certfied as Senior Engineer in Contruction field of State Grid Corp. China since 2005

Keywords: English, Chinese, Translation, civil Engineering, Electric Power, PMP, Contractor, Energy, Geology, project management, oversea working experiences

Profile last updated
Sep 27, 2011

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