I am part of the problem (UNSCRIPTED) - Hyperreality Corporations

[LiveFire]

Yesterday, I closed on Chapters 6-10 of UNSCRIPTED . On page 52, I came across the hyperreality #9 Corporations. After I read this, I realized that in many ways, myself and other colleagues were collaborators in all of it.

As money is not evil, nor are corporations. The people that manage money, and the people that manage corporations, and those that work to support corporations have a choice to exercise good or evil intentions with them.

I had shared in my introduction a few days ago that I am facing a 2nd layoff among an IT company that has one of the largest global workforces behind it. Shame on me for not learning the first time, and shame on me for allowing it to happen a second time. By next week, I am out whether I like it or not. 20 years of nothing, chapter closed.

Through all of this in the last few months, I heard several perspectives stated:

1) Employee not facing layoff - "I hope the company stock recovers so I keep my job, grow my 401K, and I make some extra money from the stock purchase program to retire in the next few years".
2) Employees facing layoff (with me) - "Nothing but corporate greed, it's all about the shareholders and never about taking care of the employees".
3) Employees retired from company - "These things are necessary by management, just the way it goes. I need the company to do well and stay around for the sake of my pension and retirement benefits".

At some particular point, we all wanted a strong company, strong stock performance, strong retirement options, the bonus for performance, etc. Return on Investment (ROI), payback are key metrics for any investors. When it comes down to it, a company's loyalty is always back to Wall Street - the shareholder's return.

As I take this back to the hyperreality of corporations, I just found it interesting by having a 401K with company stock, by participating in an employee purchase program, it was acceptable by all of us of wanting higher gains and better performance no matter what - as long as we had what was protected and walked away with a job at the end of the day. And when things don't go well with that performance, everyone is screaming, "They need to do something about that stock performance! The performance is terrible! My 401K is down, my gains are down!".

Multiply the hundred of thousands of interests in the company performance that everyone holds from individuals, to executive officers to financial institutions and funds. Those who so desired for increased performance (including myself) became now victims of the actions we advocated for in the desire to achieve profitability. The result - we don't have time to be innovative - that takes too long. We need results fast - we need work elimination or by hiring cheaper resources, cut the costs, remove the liability of benefits owed to each employee to balance things out.

Corporations are not greedy. People are greedy, and I was greedy. As a "shareholder", (though a tiny tiny tiny tiny fraction), I expected my "share" of return regardless. I found it interesting in the quest of return that myself and others brought about our own demise. In the end, we savaged our own for quest of profitability.

Sincerely,
LF

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Corporations are not greedy. People are greedy, and I was greedy.

Yup, idealism sets the stage for people to be disappointed. While "greed" is the more negative word, at the end of the day we are all selfish and want to put our own needs first. That is why a business who does the opposite is a refreshing occurrence. You can be profitable AND altruistic.

If you ever watched the movie Interstellar, it tells a great tale about how we are all, first and foremost, thinking about ourselves and our family, then the "community" comes second. Had the astronauts been told their trip was not to save their family, but the species, the primary characters would have never went.

As I take this back to the hyperreality of corporations, I just found it interesting by having a 401K with company stock, by participating in an employee purchase program, it was acceptable by all of us of wanting higher gains and better performance no matter what - as long as we had what was protected and walked away with a job at the end of the day.

Bingo. Our perspective changes when the circumstances do.

At the end of the day, we have to control our own destiny.

 

[LiveFire]

Thank you Sir for the support and response on this. The blinders are coming off!

Yup, idealism sets the stage for people to be disappointed. While "greed" is the more negative word, at the end of the day we are all selfish and want to put our own needs first. That is why a business who does the opposite is a refreshing occurrence. You can be profitable AND altruistic.

If you ever watched the movie Interstellar, it tells a great tale about how we are all, first and foremost, thinking about ourselves and our family, then the "community" comes second. Had the astronauts been told their trip was not to save their family, but the species no one would have went.



Bingo. Our perspective changes when the circumstances do.

At the end of the day, we have to control our own destiny.