| Topic Name: |
How Do You Like Working In Corporate America? |
| Message Name: |
You're right, of course |
| Date Posted: |
03/22/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
LESIMON hit it right on the head, and I agree.
You either end up as one of the laborers, without much hope for a prestigious position, or as part of the hated upper management that doesn't care about its employees.
Knowing that the government has shifted towards aligning with businesses, the only solution is to break out of the mold and start you own business. Little by little, and with hard work (and some government help) you'll begin to rip the corporate benefits you can only hope to achieve working for someone else.
Besides, there is always the satisfaction of calling your own shots which will eventually remunerate you greatly.
My humble opinion... |
| Message: |
You're right, of course. The problem is whether I want, a few years short of retirement but too far from it to quit now, to start my own business in an area where I would need some specialized training and which is already overpopulated.
Actually I'm not interested in a prestigious position; that and a buck will get you a cup of coffee that used to cost a dime. All I really wanted was to hang onto the decent job and income I had. I suppose I could file an age discrimination suit. By the time it's settled I'd be ready to retire officially.
Your advice is good for a younger person, and I recommend it to any under-40 with either no dependents or a working spouse who has a dream and the urge to risk his neck.
Actually there are a few managers, even at the executive level, who care about their employees. However, they are bullied into caring about their stockholders more; forgetting that without good amployees the stock will deteriorate to nothing in a very short time.
This has been the thrust of business philosophy for the past 20+ years: shareholders' rights and "shareholder value" have been the dominant motivation for management. The stockholders want massive quarterly profits (1980s) or double digit stock price increases (1990s); i.e., short term fast money. Any executive that doesn't deliver on these won't be around long. In turn, the managers insist on huge bonuses when they do deliver, and golden parachutes to cover them if they don't.
The problem is, when you manage for short term profits or stock price runup, you destroy the long term survivability of the whole operation. The managers know this but don't care; their behinds are covered either way and they don't intend to stay in one place very long anyway (e.g., Al Dunlap).
Let the employees eat cake.
|
|
