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"Greenstuff" Economics Learning Page
DISCLAIMER:
Opinions expressed are supposed to stir up debate.
Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely
coincidental.
"If you're not moving forward, you're falling behind."
"More...More...More...Now...Now...Now !"
"Change or die."
American workers in the new millennium are putting in more hours at work (and
enjoying it less) than they did at any time in the last decade. Many other
industrialized countries have a higher productivity rate and a shorter
work week. Is there something we're missing ?
Whatever happened to:
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." ?
"You'll attract more worker bees with honey than you'll attract with
vinegar." ?
and "The death of the goose that laid the golden eggs because the owner
wanted more...more...more...now...now...now" ?
(The owner ended up with no golden eggs and no goose.)
Philosophy: Over 90% of the time, the medium between the two possible
extremes in any situation will serve you well. There's got to be a happy
medium somewhere !
Of course, that's just the way we see it !
If you have an interesting story about more...more...more...now...now...now
and perfectionism, email it to the "webmaster".
"Greenstuff" Economics learning
page.
Define: "Productivity"
Is change always good? Is it always bad? How should American
public and private institutions treat their workers in order to retain them and
better compete in the global market place?
Tell about a time that you tried to fix something, had it almost perfect, tried
to make it a just a little better, ... and ruined it.
Work with your Authentic Cooperative Learning (ACL) team to develop some
strategies for knowing when to start and when to stop trying to
"fix" a "project". Be prepared to present your conclusions
at the "Greenstuff" roundtable.
The
"Suit Solution"
Solve most of the world's problems in one bold stroke!
Productivity - "Suits" (Managers) must spend just one week
of their vacation each year actually doing the job of those they
supervise. (McDonald's has "Founder's Day", but one day a year is
not nearly enough.) Of course, managers would argue, "We would have a
week's worth of paperwork to come back to." This merely authenticates the proposal, as they would experience first-hand
1/52 of the effect that their out-of-touch proposals have had upon their own workers (more paperwork, less
productivity, etc.).
and...Post Enron...
2. Restoring Trust - C.E.O. compensation would be limited to 100 times the
salary of their lowest paid full-time employee. And, if the company didn't
make a profit that year, 90% of the C.E.O.'s salary would be pumped back into the
company.
3. "The Buck Stops Here" - No more "golden parachutes"
or stock options (unless available to the average employee).
4. Truth in Advertising - "Management Perks" would be limited to the
same "Perks" received by the average employee. (If the company doesn't
pay for employee family coverage on health insurance, the manager would have to
pay for his family coverage out of his own pocket, just like the employees.
"We're all in this together.")
"How are you
going to pay for all this?"
1. Through a tremendous increase in "true productivity" (not just
more hours worked).
2. Through reduced executive compensation.
3. Lowered training costs as increased company loyalty reduces employee turnover
of the "best and brightest".
4. Increased shareholder equity as the market explodes to new highs due to the
confidence generated by in-touch managers restoring trust and speaking
truthfully.
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