Ok, so a little rant here today. I was BBQing chicken (over REAL charcoal) and I was reminded of this story that is often used as an example in business settings. … Basically, there is a project at a big company. We will call the project, “breakfast” and the two employees that worked on the project “breakfast” are a “chicken” and a “pig.”
After the project is over, the boss man looks at the participants and says, “Well, great job, but while the chicken merely contributed to the project (by laying eggs), the pig was truly committed (by giving his life).”
So as the story goes, I have seen senior VPs and such send around the story via email and use it as a rallying cry for all of use “pigs” to get committed to the “company.” (full story here on Wikipedia)
So here is my vid on that, and then you’ll need to do a little more reading than normal afterward in order to get point.
Some of you may begin to think I am some sort of liberal who hates rich people. Truth is, I am not the type who you can fit into a box like that, but I do despise CEOs and the like who are in positions of leadership that they did not truly earn. (yeah, I don’t think a guy deserves a lofty position just cuz he sits/sat on a board of directors, or because his great uncle sits/sat on that same board, or because he went to the same school as some other ass-wipe at the top, etc)
I could ramble more on that…
But I have yet to see/meet/hear about a Fortune 500 CEO who started on the front lines of a company and worked his way to the top and NEVER lost his since of being a real/normal dude or dedette. They all go to the other side and become ass-hats. (some are already ass-hats when they take over a CEO spot… ever wonder why they only last 4-5 years or so?.. because there is always a bigger-ass-hat above them, LOL)
So back to this topic. Is it just me, or is it completely arrogant for a business leader to think it is “ok” for a worker to “give his life” for the business? Is the business so important as to ruin a man’s home life and deprive him of his family?
On a further note, some of you may begin to get the idea that I am not thankful for the fact that I have a job in this economy. On the contrary my friends; I am very thankful to have a good-paying job. I am thankful that the company I work for is extremely healthy during this time. However, does that mean it is ok for the company to use the bad economy as an excuse to work employees harder and make them choose between work and family/home life?
Where is the big company that will take the high road and say, “Dear employees, you guys are awesome and because of you, we are soaring in profits during this economy and we are going to give you more benefits and perks (like time off) as a way to say ‘thanks’ and earn yet more of your loyalty!”
Or maybe this one? …”We know that home life is important and if your family structure is healthy, your work life will be healthy, so we want all of you to work from home 1 day per week.”
Anybody know a company like that? Or are the healthy ones using a bad economy as an excuse to beat the sheep, or, in other words, sacrifice more pigs?
Does your boss tell you, “you are lucky to have a job!” …to me guys, that is arrogance!
Lastly, I am a HUGE supporter of small business and entrepreneurship! That is why internet marketing is so great! It holds great potential for those of us who went to community college and didn’t join the rich kids’ fraternity.
Thoughts? …all are welcome…
First, cool intro!!!
I’m with you all the way. So what did the pig get in return for giving his life? Fired, layed off, passed over probably lost his 401k too.
Corporations are entities, they may be filled with people but they’re not people and the people at the top act like their not people either. The days of the gold watch retirements are over.
I prefer smaller companies where even the owner is still a human being and is thankful for the work his employees do for him. They may get a salary for their work, but he still wouldn’t be where he is without them.
Then there are the owners of smaller companies that act like the big fish in a small pond showing off his new expensive stuff in front of everyone and has the attitude he’s the king of the serfs around him. I don’t care if people make and spend money, but there’s no reason to be a snob about it.
Keep the intro!
Used to be a pig. Now, I’m a rooster. You didn’t really expect me to say I’m a chicken do you
I get what you are saying. If you are not “committed” enough, you are on the outside looking in. Frankly, I left that train some time ago. I go to work, do my job, come home, enjoy my family.
I have enjoyed doing that so much in the past couple years, that I’m trying to make IM a lifestyle so I can be home to enjoy them some more and have a healthy back to enjoy them with. Patients unfortunately are getting much larger as the years go by.
In my job, I take care of a lot of people. I truly enjoy that part of the job, but I am not going to let “the boss” make me feel guilty for not doing enough to be classified as a pig. I don’t try to excel for the boss, I do it for my patients and my peace of mind.
Good points Allyn and Medic. I can also relate to the big boys trying to make everyone pigs. My Associate Distric manager (3 levels above me) runs the division of about 30 branch offices in the lending industry. Now this is a f’d up industry right now…there is nobody…i mean very very few people who actually want more debt right now. And My ADO is sending emails and faxes everyday that state we should be working later, working harder, and basically sacrificing everything for the company.
I agree 100% with you on this one allyn. Ever since this has been happening at work, my “production” has gone down, and it has lead me to multiple conferences with my boss’ about my lack of motivation, lack of selling shit, lack of everything just because I disagree with most things that are going on above me. I have learned to just shut my mouth, do my job and nothing more. I want to work and they think I don’t. I get more done in 4 hours at night than I do in a week at my corporate job. Don’t tell me I’m not motivated, or not taking any initiative! I suggest all kinds of ideas to get others like me in the company to produce better results. Nobody listens, and when they do, I’m scrutinized for it and my managers don’t even think twice about any kind of new ideas. Just the same old ways of “selling”.
I could give 2 shits if I had this job. OH, they also told me “I’M LUCKY TO HAVE A JOB!” FUCK YOU.
Sry for the language.
Let’s Rock Out Some #1 Rankings….
I can remember when about lunchtime on Sunday I used to get sad – thinking that most of the weekend is over now and I have to go back to my “good job” on Monday – the job which made me stressed and bored all at the same time.
I’ve never made less money for the hours I am working at the moment but I don’t really give a shit because internet marketing is all about freedom and ability to say fuck you to the bosses who believe that they are doing you the favour of giving you a job.
This one really got salty quick didn’t it? There is a lot of passionate feelings here. I have a feeling that comments will grow on this vid post Allyn. BTW, I’m drinking a Blue Moon in a frozen authentic German Mug I brought home from Hamburg, Germany in my Navy Days from about 1980. I recommend that everyone pour a cold one before watching Allyn’s videos.
I worked the corporate gig for 25 years at GTE who became Verizon. Verizon is the worst POS company one can imagine. Can you hear me now?, should be changed to Can I cornhole you now?, in regards to the employees.
Take my advice if you have a corporate job nowadays. Just get along and hold your nose. Protect your family and your benefits if possible until you can make the break. Realize that for 99.9% of us, nothing that happens at your job will matter 10 years from now. The friends you make now will still be your friends in 25 years. The enemies you make now will still be your enemies 25 years from now. If your company screws you out of a couple of hours, smile and take a sick day and get 8 hours back. Don’t be the pig, be the chicken.
BTW, awesome intro on your video.
Thanks for the good advice Steve. I feel I may be fired soon from my job because I’m not producing and really just can’t keep my mouth shut (my dad says I’m too honest). What else do you want though. I tell the truth and speak my mind and it gets me in trouble. So I might go to just plain lying.
Maybe i’ll take a sick day since I’m not gonna be able to use the rest of my vacation…wait, can you get unemployment if you get fired for not producing? hmmm.
Eric you sound like me – I more than once told employers that they paid me for my intelligence so they were going to get my opinion whether or not they liked it! Ah youth and naivity is all I can say! And thank God I don’t live somewhere that your unemployment benefits depend on how you left your last job!
Build more sites Eric – you are destined for self-employment – who else is good enough to employ us LMAO!
You have to love those patronizing parables that corporations throw at you.
Lis, Building sites has become my stress reliever more and more. It’s really hard to work for someone else…so much BS you have to put up with, watching what you say, doing things and “acting” a certain way like you give a shit. I need this job right now though and hopefully the big guy won’t walk in the branch tomorrow and give me the boot. Just want to be happy that’s all. Living alone in an apartment I can’t afford (haven’t seen my better half in over 3 weeks), driving an hour everyday to work, gas prices are high again, and now it feels like I’m the only one (in the real world) who understands my way of thinking…specifically at work.
Ok, i have to go back to building sites now…thanks lis.
@Steve-here’s to Hamburg. I used to be stationed about an hour and a half from there between Bremen and Bremerhaven ‘89-91.
AH wrote: “But I have yet to see/meet/hear about a Fortune 500 CEO who started on the front lines of a company and worked his way to the top and NEVER lost his since of being a real/normal dude or dedette. They all go to the other side and become ass-hats.”
I dunno, Allyn. I think **Warren Buffett** is a pretty cool, down-to-earth CEO guy who didn’t let it all go to his head.
He didn’t start in the mail room front lines of a mega corporation per se, but he did start Berkshire Hathaway as a company of one (hey- like us IMers).
@medic-Hamburg was wild for a wide-eyed southern boy back then. I would walk into all of the little hole-in-the-wall pubs and they all had beautiful heavy glass mugs hanging over the bar. No one spoke English. I would pull a few bills out of my pocket and point to the mugs in an offer to pay. As soon as they realized I was an American, they would give me the mug and refuse to take my money. I did this all over Hamburg. 30 years later, I’m still enjoying them. Hamburg is also the first time I saw naked hookers in windows on the streets. Gave new meaning to window shopping.
@ Medic ‘n @ Steve,
We use our crockery steins for coffee and tea daily.
Here’s to Deutschland!
You are right Allyn, but I still admire Rich corporate people who use their power to their advantage. Its kind of like a game of cards. They are simply just using the cards they are dealt. If I was in a rich fraternity of I would jump at the first opportunity to be a CEO. I just find it interesting how they do things, like donate to political campaigns so that politician will write a bill or somethin that will benefit their business.
George W. planned 9/11 knowing that the private company he invested in will benefit from defense contracting. And I love that he did that. I may not like the part where people died because of him but I like the fact that he made money in the process. I dont know why I like this type of stuff. Maybe I’m weird.
Im only 17 and I notice how politicians and wall street guys use their money and power. I also think like a rich person which is pretty impressive at my age. My genius concepts will make me a Trillionaire!!!
Dang it…I should of turned this into a blog post