Values Quotes – Henry Ford on Work

Welcome to Values Quotes. I’m Robert Ferguson.

Today’s quote is from Henry Ford, the well-known founder of the Ford Motor Company and credited with the development of the assembly line technique of mass production.

One of Ford’s famous quotes was:

“There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.”

Ford knew the value of work, intimately.

As a differentiating value, Work means exerting mental or physical effort for a purpose. It also means having an effect or outcome. Therefore, work that is valued must serve a purpose and have an identifiable outcome.

For Henry Ford, it didn’t matter if he was building cars, experimenting with innovative ideas to lower production costs, or creating new ways to promote and distribute his products. He derived joy from work because he could see his accomplishments.

Do you enjoy your work?

Maybe a better question is: can you see results that contribute to the fulfillment of a greater purpose?

That might include seeing that your family is cared for on a daily basis. That might mean helping others in the fulfillment of their purpose. Or it might even mean making a significant impact on the lives of others, as Ford did.

Since most of us are engaged in some type of work, I encourage you to find the joy in work by looking for the purpose or outcome you wish to experience.

 

Today’s value was selected from the “Enthusiasm-Teamwork” category, based on the e-book Developing Your Differentiating Value.