The industrialization of human beings
The era of industrialization has brought humankind great advancements in convenience, but it has also taken many things away from us. From a human perspective, it creates greater pressure in life than before, forcing individuals to suppress their individuality (losing their unique identity) and become dependent on material possessions. It might seem that this convenience would lead to greater happiness; perhaps, at least, that's what we think. For example, in the past, writing a letter might have meant waiting over a month for a reply. But now, convenience means you can open your phone, text someone, and receive an instant reply. Sending and receiving information is a million times faster than before, but we are struggling with the convenience we have created. The ease of texting leads to information overload. Research shows that ("Dopamine in motivational control: rewarding, aversive, and alerting" by Ethan S. Bromberg-Martin et al.) each incoming text message notification (whether containing what we expect or not, good or bad news) can trigger a reward-prediction mechanism in the brain. These expectations and uncertainties are linked to dopamine system activity. That creates a behavioral urge to constantly check notifications, drawing our attention in and shifting our focus continuously. When this frequency exceeds the brain's processing capacity, it enters a state of information overload, leading to fatigue and reduced ability to think deeply. Our brains need time to think, while the other end keeps urging us to see if we've read the message and why we haven't replied. Another example: in the workplace, driven by the demand for output, people must perform repetitive tasks according to established procedures to optimize production, treated like cogs in a giant mechanical system, and forced to work faster and harder if they don't want to be replaced by another "cog".
If you think the effects of industrialization only exist in factories, with their huge chimneys and manual laborers, you're mistaken. Today, people still talk about smokeless industries, creative industries, office work, or services. While these industries do not resemble the factory environment, they are still considered and operated according to "industrialism." These organizations focus on speed and quantity; work is broken down into simple steps, then managed by regulations and supervisors. Every day, employees face monotonous tasks (usually broken down into easier-to-manage units), unexplained work requests, complaints from superiors, colleagues, and customers, pressure to meet productivity targets, etc. To survive in such an organization, you have to blend in with the crowd, not stand out, follow the rules, be "cunning" to achieve KPIs, and you're no longer yourself. Nowadays, young people use a very apt term to describe this situation: "selling yourself to capital." To do well and be recognized by the company, you have to "perform," and when you perform, you are no longer yourself; you perform according to the organization's expectations. Every year, you are evaluated on your "performance," which means evaluating your own "role."
"Industrialism" - as discussed here - is not just about factories or production lines, but about how organizations manage work and people to optimize performance and standardize behavior, where productivity becomes the central measure.
In such organizations, people are not seen as human beings, but merely as cogs in the machine. When an individual makes a mistake, it's met with disappointment, a lack of understanding of why, and support to improve as a team. When a differing opinion is expressed, it's met with disapproval from those around you, as if you were the black sheep instead of being accepted as a valuable and worthwhile suggestion. In such organizations, some mornings the first thing we think about isn't what we'll do today but how much longer until the weekend, or that every Friday is the best day of the week. Every sick leave request is now not just about physical illness, but also mental illness. Managers continue to yell and do all sorts of things to meet KPIs; The system remains stagnant, and everyone in the organization is just a cog in the machine, from the lowest level to the CEO; anyone can be replaced if they don't function properly. When these organizations recruit new employees, they focus only on the candidate's existing "hard skills," the more the better. They prioritize the new employee's ability to do many things immediately rather than their capacity to learn or qualities like EQ or CQ. I call this the trap of "industrialism."
True motivation springs from within
Humans are not machines. A machine only needs energy to operate as designed. Humans are different - we have will and cognition, and external influences do not solely determine our actions. If the motivation to exist is a primal and highest instinct, then why are there still people willing to give up life for something they consider meaningful, or because they no longer find meaning in life, even though they have enough to eat and wear? So, ultimately, what truly keeps humans alive?
Perhaps that's why humans are always haunted by big questions: where do I come from, who am I, and where am I going? These questions aren't philosophical luxuries but reflect a very basic inner need: to find meaning in life. When a person no longer understands who they are, what they do each day easily becomes a repetitive series of actions, lacking direction and failing to bring a sense of fulfillment. Viewing people as "gears" can impoverish the sense of meaning in life, as individuals gradually become detached from what they truly value. This not only weakens willpower but also makes work motivation more fragile, easily replaced by external demands. Over time, people may operate like machines, and work efficiency cannot be sustained, and they lack a deep connection to what they do.
According to the book “Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us” by Daniel H. Pink, human motivation stems not only from rewards or external pressure, but also from three core elements: purpose, mastery, and autonomy. These are all intrinsic values that cannot be completely replaced by external measurement or control mechanisms. In another book, Viktor E. Frankl once said: “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”
Indeed! Meaning, purpose, or reason for existence is a driving force unique to humans. It forms the inner will of each individual, enabling them to overcome adversity. Therefore, humans cannot be merely "cogs"—when work revolves solely around productivity, the elements that constitute true human motivation are gradually sidelined. It is at this point that the limitations of "industrialist" management begin to emerge.
People are at the heart of the organization
If current management approaches reveal their limitations by failing to address what truly motivates people, the question should no longer be how to “optimize work,” but rather: “how well do we understand people?”
In a system designed with “industrialist” logic, where productivity, measurement, and standardization are central, people are expected to adapt to existing pressures and patterns. Conversely, in a system designed around people, efficiency is part of the story, but not the whole of it. Operating methods are designed not to undermine but to support and sustain intrinsic motivation. That also means that not every individual is a good fit—organizations need to be clearer in selecting people who can thrive within those operating methods.
This difference stems from how each organization views people. People are not just those working within the system, but also everyone who interacts with it – from employees, managers, and leaders to customers, partners, and the surrounding community. An organization, ultimately, is not a collection of processes, but a collection of people and the relationships between them.
When people are placed at the center, the way the system operates will change as well. An example is the Agile Product Operating Model (APOM) of Scrum.org – an approach that doesn't start with processes or KPIs, but with people. Because people create the product, the product creates value for users, and user satisfaction is the foundation of profitability and sustainable growth. The Agile Product Operating Model (APOM) has been translated into Vietnamese. If you are interested, you can follow and read more here.
Treat people for who they truly are; not only does this change how an organization operates, but it also changes how people acknowledge their work and themselves. When people are no longer reduced to fixed metrics or roles, decisions become more long-term and less dependent on short-term pressures. And perhaps, then work is no longer a system for people to adapt to, but becomes a space where people can better understand themselves – and the reason "why we are doing what we are doing."
References:
- Image - Designed by Freepik - https://www.freepik.com/
- "Dopamine in motivational control: rewarding, aversive, and alerting" by Ethan S. Bromberg-Martin et al. - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3032992/
- "Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us" by Daniel H. Pink - https://www.danpink.com/books/drive/
- "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/347571/mans-search-for-meaning-by-viktor-e-frankl/9781846046384
- "Agile Product Operating Model (APOM)" by Scrum.org - https://www.scrum.org/learning-series/agile-product-operating-model/