FROM A RESPONSE ON LINKEDIN BLOGGERS
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If we build networks on trust, what do we do with those companies and/or those employees who place little value in honoring their words, their commitments? If they demonstrate a pattern of not honoring their word, how do we introduce them to others in our networks?
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I think, and I advise my “beloved” turkeys — those poor souls who didn’t memo about the roe (rules of employment) changing, that they have to play “offense / defense” continually. They must be on the offense to always be looking out for Number One and that ain’t their employer. They must be on the defense at all times because they are really only assured of the last paycheck that cleared the bank.
No, the rules have changed.
Companies don’t realize the employees, that they fire – discourage – denigrate, are their intellectual capital. They get to “rebuy” their skills at a greatly inflated rate from a consulting shop, but they don’t get the benefit of the genius that they lost. Their “bench” of people, who once aligned themselves with the company long term, is gone. With it, the in depth understanding of what was done, why, and when. So companies get to make the same mistakes over again and pay for them again in even great amounts.
In my career, I have watched the centralized – decentralized, fat – thin – zero client, rapid / traditional paradigms done over, and over and over again. Wait five years and you are dealing with a completely “new” company. I call it “Organizational Alzheimer’s”. The sad part is it’s self-inflicted. And, no one seems to recognize just how expensive it is.
To the question, one introduces candidates and companies very carefully. One ensures that both know the “facts of life” of the new “employment” meme. One carefully weighs each against the standard, “what does it do to advance the needs of each side”. How does the value extracted get divided? And where’s my share!
Just as the ERISA laws of the 1970’s led to the era of five year employees (i.e., the time needed for a pension to vest);
just as the dotcom bubble made everyone an “owner” in some fashion or other (i.e., you only went to work for a “hope ‘n’ prayer” company if you got shares;
just as today’s “what’s in it for me culture” has led to mutually disloyal companies and employees;
the new corporate organization will be a small core of “employees” with lucrative employment contracts that mange the services of other small corporations.
So, everything will be spun out to autonomous little corporations and there will be no “long term” thinking. Forget Bell Labs, forget GE “bringing good things to life”, forget 3M with a slew of new products. It’ll be the march of little enterprises — the nano-izing of business (i.e., like penguins). That’s what we will have to deal with. You’ll be “in”, “out”, or “owning”.
And the costs will be driven out of all processes. (Margins will be razor thin!) But the overall cost to the economy will be higher. (Adding up all those margins will make the end to end cost a lot more!) It’s going to get a lot tougher to “make a living” unless you are smart enough, lucky enough, or practical enough to find a “killer” idea. (Opportunities have to pay off bigger. More risk must be taken. More spectacular failures!)
Makes me glad that I am coming to the end of my career. I don’t envy you youngsters!
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Posted by reinkefj 
Reinke Faces Life 