Corporate Greed vs. Farming Vanilla
We just taught the last Couples Course© in Hawaii. Another client had told us that an amazing little side trip was to tour the
Hawaiian Vanilla Company
(see link at end of article) on the other side of the Big Island. I had no idea that we would get slapped in the face with the stark contrast between family purpose and the abuse of today’s big corporations.
Backstory: I recently read Stanford Professor, Jeffery Pfeffer‘s latest book
Dying for a Paycheck.
(Link to preview and interview with Pfeffer at end of article
)
We have yelled at many of you that your company is ruining your health and your life. Long hours, ridiculous workloads, the constant threat of downsizing, horrible bosses, and a blatant disregard for the actual human being that run companies. Ours was a boots on the ground view of your lives as we worked with the “world's best corporations”.
Since we have been doing this for 40 years we have seen both the slow and sometimes precipitous decline of how historically moral organizations have become committed to greed and profit over the people who populate their companies. But we have been seeing it one life and one organization at a time. Professor Pfeffer sat on many corporate boards and saw the same abuse from the top down across many organizations.
Susan and I always love it when someone writes a book providing the hard research for what we have been saying for years. Pfeffer was tired of hearing the executives in organizations bitterly complaining about the high cost of health care. His retort was you are
causing
the high cost of health care by the way you treat your people!
Professor Pfeffer claims the workplace is the 5
th
leading
cause of death in America!
This is not one man’s opinion; all of Pfeffer’s assertions are backed up with reams of research from around the world.
Here are a few killers from the list that effect our clients chronically:
1.
Job insecurity. Layoffs, downsizings, mergers, reorgs and the stress to those effected directly and indirectly . Stress on top of stress leads directly to chronic illnesses, heart disease, hypertension, clinical depression, diabetes etc.
2.
Working long hours. Everything past 48 hours deteriorates your health.
Uh oh!
3.
Work Stress/Home stress tornado. You have to actually be with the ones you allegedly love to have a relationship! Long hours, ridiculous work expectations create people on their laptops and phones not in relationship even when they are home. Kids feel neglected (get into trouble), spouses want a divorce, etc.
4.
Job Control. Do you have control over how you do your job and do you have input as to decision making. Micromanaging, clueless bosses seem to be on the rise.
5.
Gig Economy.Lack of better job choices have driven people to be independent contractors who have “chosen” working part time, possible Uber, or gig to gig as independent contractors, many of whom have stressor #1 NO Health insurance, plus job insecurity, etc.
Sadly the Management Practices have not produced positive results in the long run, according to Pfeffer. They have produced long term skyrocketing Healthcare costs not to mention years of compromised health.
The 25-year-old family member who led our tour at the Vanilla farm presented a different point of view. Her uncle got into the Vanilla business to create a place to maintain their values of the family. Six family members run the entire operation. They don’t make a “salary” they do get room and board and other necessities as required. They have had many offers to expand the farm given the high price of Vanilla but the founder declined feeling it would dilute the mission of preserving their family values
Our guides pride in her organization was palpable. Her expression put me in touch with my pride about what we have accomplished and the lives we have touched in our business and the hardships we have overcome. Susan has made sure we have stayed on purpose. And it is still a privilege everyday to do what I can to support that purpose.
On August 16, 2019 we will celebrate the 40
th
Anniversary of SVVCI® with a Summit.
*Susan and I will discuss where we see organizations and individuals are now in regard to men and women in the workplace.
*Some of our most notable clients will participate in a panel discussion of life after Corporate and how they have taken on the next chapter of their lives.
*Dr. Linda Silverman world-renowned expert on giftedness, will administer her two great inventories on Adult Giftedness with all attending! She will talk about understanding ourselves those around us even better.
Check the detailed Summit information below and join us!
