July 29th, 2008
When staff do a good job,
they get little praise or receive little raise. When CEOs do a mediocre
job, they get a big bonus. How does this equate to fairness?
In the public sector, the
boundaries between fair and obscure are a very thin frontier that makes
one wonder which is which. Companies always publically announce that
they are an "equal opportunity employer," playing on the non-discriminatory
sentiment across the western hemisphere. But that's just a limited factor
that doesn't truly represent the concept of "equal opportunity."
We look in the news and
see CEOs of large corporations receiving giant bonuses for mediocre
work at best; we see them cut staff and be real conservative in distributing
wage increases, saying "it affects the bottom line." Yet the
CEO and other upper management cronies receiving a few million dollars
here doesn't?
Where's the logic in that?
If we were to redefine the
concept of "equal opportunity," then it would include the
following:
Increased incentive
Distribution: If the CEO can earn several millions in bonus
for poor work, the staff can also be given several thousands for their
outstanding work. Performance-based rewards do just that: they reward
for outstanding performance. Where one does a poor job, should they
not earn a big amount while plundering those who went out of their way
during the period? That is the purpose of capitalism, is it not?
Removal of Immunity
for Upper Management: Whenever staff do a bad job, they get
fired. If a manager or CEO does a bad job, they get a chance to buy
a big, shiny BMW or a Mercedes Benz. If upper management does a bad
job, they should be properly punished. Rewarding mediocrity does not
do anything to instill pride nor positive feelings across the harder-working
ranks in the organization.
Increase Management
Humility: Many in management positions lose touch with the
rest of those with whom they work. What they think is much farther from
what actually is. When things go wrong, they shift the blame to staff
for "not seeing things their way." Perhaps it's the opportune
time for those upper managers to come down to Earth and see what their
supposed plans or ambitions would do (or not do). If they take a moment
to come out of their "ivory towers" and see the world for
what it actually is, then the fall won't be as hard when the company
begins to break apart.
They'll actually
be cushioned more during their fall if they take the time to be human
like the rest of us.
Home
| About | Return
to Anecdote-A-Day Main Page | Revive
the Human Factor with HR 3.0
