What do you consider stealing? It's when you take something that isn't yours, right? It's when you did not do the work that makes you deserving of what you gain. You will agree with these statements if you think about what stealing means to you. So let's turn these statements on a few common things. When the owners of a corporation get together and devise plans on how to increase their profits they are stealing from you. They take what isn't theirs (all of the products and services you create) and then they try to do even less work by forcing the employees to work harder. They claim there is a recession and lay off workers, yet spending today is more than ever. They blame you for for their mistake of trying to provide a product or service to the consumers that the consumers don't want, or for providing inferior products and services despite the fact that you were only following their rules of production.
When times are tough, they lose a fortune, but remain weathy...you lose your job, your car, your house, or your sanity. What work did these guys do to deserve this luxury? Even if they spent eight hours a day making phone calls and dealing with market reports, how is their time worth so much more than yours? Instead of being afraid of your boss, he should be thanking you. You should have control over him. You should be able to tell him how the work can be easier. Instead, you're worried about losing your job if you don't do as your told. Home Depot tried an expirement that I have discussed before where the management team was the support for the workers. That the workers were at the top of the chain, and the high management was at the bottom. But of course, it was just a ruse. I worked there. I know. We still made less money, we still had to do as the bosses told us, and the only time we got to voice our opinion was at the store meeting. But of course all of our suggestions, ideas and even complaints were responded to as such: "I understand your concern but to make this company work we are gonna need your cooperation. If this company fails you are all out of jobs."
If we want to live democratically, hirings, firings and layoffs should be up to the workers. Not to say that the workers need to expend their energy with these proceedings as well as their normal work. Too many times the employees don't know why they would hire this person or that person, only to find out that somebody knows somebody. Too many times an employee gets fired and his co-workers can't believe it. They know that the employee was a good worker. But now they are afraid to fall victim to the same fate, and then have to add one more thing on the list to worry about. So let me give you some hypothetical solutions, and let's see if we can come up with something. Realize that these solutions are only hypothetical until we come up with one that seems logical and rational and try to implement it.
First off, the pay scale should be more equal. I'm not saying that you shouldn't be rewarded for being a harder worker, or for using your brain to create better conditions and production. I'm saying that standing around and making sure the employees are doing things in the agreed upon procedures is worth no more than the work the employees are doing. The reason the owners pay the managers more is to keep the owners interests safe. If the manager is making much more money, he will do things the way the owner wants because the owner is (bribing) them to do so. He knows that the employees can not make his job better because he knows that if they don't follow the owner's plan, he can get rid of them and hire someone from the army of the unemployed. The unemployed are a tool that the owners use to keep you in submission. If everyone was employed, you would have nothing to worry about.
Secondly, every business has it's slow times every day, week, month, or year. Food businesses suffer down times during certain hours of the day, and certain days of the week. Retail stores make much more money in the Christmas season, but much less money in between seasons. Builders make more money during the warm weather than the cold weather. These are just examples to show you that there are times when the employees and management can get together to discuss. So when the manager wants to hire someone, he should bring a report (oral or written) to the employees. Something like, "OK, I think I found somebody that can help us stock the shelves. She has a healthy body, and seems very good at organizing. She seemed upbeat and willing to do repetitive things, should we hire her?" Then let the employees decide...through vote or implied vote. Or when the manager feels a worker is not doing his/her job, he can go to the employees with something like this, "I'm getting a little tired of John being late to work everyday...is this effecting any of you? I want to get rid of him, but I need to know if that's the right thing to do." Then the employees would have a chance to say, "Yeah, I never get home on time when he is supposed to relieve me." --or-- "No, when he's here he works very hard, if you get rid of him, we'll get someone that shows up on time, but then we'll all have to work harder to make up for his loss."
Layoffs are a trickier subject, but let me try this out. There are two things here. #1 is the owner. If times are tough, the owner should do what we all do when times get tough: pull up your boot straps and feed your family. All the profits he makes can suffer since he wouldn't have them without us anyway. Or if we were smart, he could put some of his profits in a special account when times were booming, and use them to carry the very people that made him that money when times are tough. #2 If the business is slow, or failing the employees can find a way to either get the sales up, or change directions and provide a different product or service. One that seems to be doing well.
Well, people have been agreeing with much of what I say, but asking me to provide some answers. I am committed to providing them, and this is only a start. Without you, we are nothing. We are all interconnected no matter what your contribution to society is. So let yourself be heard.
I'm listening.
Oh shit, isn't that some corny radio guys line?
6 comments:
As has always been the case. their is a hierarchy in the world of business. Yes, it could be better handled and those that perform at a lower rate of production should not be promoted on an equal basis. Let me provide an example. I work as a dispatcxher of taxi drivers. the general 'rule of thumb' is that the dispatcher is the boss. When I have had a driver that complains about being sent three miles to get a fare, my standard response is, "Gas the car up, and bring it in." Well, I have had drivers just 'disappear' and wait for my relief to come on, and miracuously re-appear and then is used. That driver should not be allowed to continue to drive. Yet, he is. that is improper.
My suggestion is that when an employee is hired, he/she should be given a explanation of what is expected. And periodically, new reports should be issued indicating how they are performing. Some sort of a rating. Maybe a scale of 1-10 in several areas. A worker that rates an average of 5 should be kept, but a worker averaging a nine should be promoted higher and paid more. A constant average of eight or above should warrant consideration for a manager position, at higher pay. Some people are perfectly happy doing what they do without promotion, and they should be afforded the chance to maintain status quo. However, if the average five worker never improves, then, they should be considered for removal from their position.
Stagnant positioning in a job should be replaced by a person whose begins as a two but shows promise to improve should be provided an opening (position) to move forward, improving their lot in life. These people shouldn't be thwarted.
Although secpoli's comments below are valid, I think he missed the point. He pointed out what we know, but did give a plan on how to hire/fire and promote workers. He also mentioned the heirarchy of business which is exactly what I am trying to destroy. A good manager can make more money than the employees, but not so much more... His job is not any more difficult than the employees, just different. As long as we so grandly award a man who has more brains than brawn, we will continue to separate the classes and invoke bitterness in the people who have more brawn than brain, and also cause the intelligent ones to keep their knowledge to themselves to give them the upper hand.
I totally disagree with your reasoning here with the comment made by the man that I read. Most managers that I know( and I am one of them) don't make much more money than the employees that they have to manage and I for one pull up my shirt sleeves and I am unloading and unpacking right along side of the employee that is helping me that day. I have to write a paper for each employee a year and it is a big pain in the butt for me and takes me alot of time and effort. Then I have to sit down with this employee and explain this report to them and get their signature that I have done this with them. Meanwhile, most of this has to be done on my time and I am not paid extra for doing this for them. Do you realize that most of the employees dont even last a year and I spend alot of my valuable time interviewing and hiring new employees and training them . Another waste of my time and I end up working 50-60 hours while I have to do all this. Dont blame us managers, blame these employees that dont want to work, and dont even have the decency to call me and tell me that they arent coming in so that I could possibly make other arrangements. No I end up staying becasue it is to late to get someone and I cant leave. I treat the employees well, and I give themfair warning if their productivaty is not up to pare. I even try to help them if their is a family situation by adjusting their hours or giving them certain days off. I want to know when these employees are going to treat me as I treat them.??
I hate to tell you bright star, but I've been a manager too...and I see what you mean...I've always rolled up my sleeves, but the owners of the company hated that...I don't know why, but they did. But as long as the owners are in control, you will have to work your 50-60 hours a week to keep them happy. Yes, there are plenty of employees that don't do their job, but that wasn't the point I was making...the point I was making is that the employees peers should decide what is going on...as a manager you should only be a peer, but the owners put that extra pressure on you to work your ass off. Just think about it.
Sorry I had to comment on that part in here about approaching employees and asking them about hiring and friing of people. Are you sure you know what you are implying here? I would no sooner do that then let them sleep in the store room all day. Jay, How can you even suggest such a thing? In a business there are going to be little clicks of employees that stick together and they would push someone out that they didnt like. What if that employee was the best worker in the whole place. You are treating this like a reality show, which by the way is another pet peeve of mine. How could you let an employee judge another especially with jeolousy and productivty involved.?? This is a no brainer as far as I am concerned and I would never consider even thinking about involving an employee in my decision making. The only way that I would ever talk to one employee about another is if something happened and that employee happened to witness the event . Then I would consider the imput of the employee. Your idea would never work and in the long run it wouldn't make for a well functioning business.
again bright star...you are stuck in the world of business...what I am implying is that profit making is what has caused the disparities in business. There will always be a conflict of interest in this matter until we do away with our current practices. Only the employees know how to make life easier in any business, but they WILL "vote" a fellow employee out if they know they have personal gain in the matter. Instead of stepping on each other, why can't we realize that by working together we will get so much more accomplished that fighting each other?
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