January 8, 2010

“I’ve been asked to scale new heights.”

“Sounds to me like he wants you dead when you fall instead of just badly maimed.”

Workplace changes in the short span of my career have been astounding.  A quick look at a few of them sometimes makes me feel like I am on a different planet:

·         Demise of U.S.-based manufacturing

·         Outsourcing

·         Off-shoring / Near-shoring / Right-shoring

·         No smoking allowed

·         Casual Friday to casual everyday to words don’t describe the attire

·         Business travel to whatever we call getting on an airplane these days

·         The death of the defined pension benefit (at least in the private sector)

·         Employee loyalty to companies

·         Company loyalty to employees

·         “Command and Control” management to “out of control” management

·         Proliferation of non-business related training (diversity, sexual harassment, ethics,   etc.)

·         Escalation of executive compensation / Disparity in compensation

·         Flex-time

·         Telecommuting / Virtual organizations

Many of the changes have created a very skeptical and cynical workforce.  Having watched the impact of this evolution (or perhaps diminution is a better word), a recent overheard conversation came as no surprise to me.  Using his most sardonic, sarcastic, disrespectful, scornful, and mocking voice, a virtual employee described the outcome of a meeting with his boss in one very telling sentence, “I’ve been asked to scale new heights.”

The comeback was equal parts caustic and acrimonious:  “Sounds to me like he wants you dead when you fall instead of just badly maimed.”

Unfortunately, too many in today’s workplace believe their employer wishes they were dead.  Others work at a pace that leads their employer to believe they already are.     

Craig Halsey

They Said It

January 8, 2010