What percentage of people in a company are more focused on their own personal career path than on the ultimate good of the consumer/customer?
I’ve had this discussion twice in the past week. Needless to say, cynic that I am, I think most people in a company are so worried about where they are going next, they forget to do the work at hand. And in many ways, the work at hand is irrelevant to them, because before any project reaches fruition, they’ll be on to the next post. “Impossible,” you say. “They have to have some sort of results to prove they can do the job!” Sadly no, because the people who should be paying attention to these sorts of things are also firmly fixed on their next roles so they will pass along any fool who expresses interest.
This is yet another reason why I’d rather not ever go back. This and the windows thing.
I won’t reveal my guess at the percentage until a few others chime in. I don’t have many readers, so not sure if that will even happen (but if it doesn’t then I don’t need to reveal my estimate). Of the two people I discussed this with, one is in a corporation and one is independent, like me. Actually they both agreed that most are mis-focused, but we disagree on how dire the situation is (based on the percentages we assign to each group).
5 comments:
While my guess probably counts for little, as I have never worked in corporate America, I do have a sister who works in cubicalville. Based on conversations with her...my guess is 95% out for personal interest, 5% out for the product/project interest.
Now in state government, a scary place to work mind you, but, may I say...not as driven by ambition, I would say the percentages are more like 60% personal interest 40% product/service interest. But I don't think the higher percentage of "ultimate good of the customer" folks makes a difference, because the ones focused on personal interests seem to find their way into the management structure, and subvert the whole process. (Do I sound too cynical? Did I spell that correctly?)
What is the right answer?
DB
I'm not sure I'm qualified to make a guess - I have always viewed the office I work in as atypical of corporate America, even as we were swallowed up by bigger companies. A certain work ethic existed when I started 11 years ago, and it persisted despite the Dilbert-esque management style experienced in recent years. My theory is that relatively little staff turnover combined with the isolation of the island so we were able to continue working the way we always had. The biggest reason that I have stuck it out is that I work with bunch of people who are very committed to customer satisfaction - from creating a product with the features our clients ask for, to responsive and friendly support, to long-time professional relationships. I know that we are unique - I spent 5 years fighting corporate mentalilty to preserve this environment.
But even in my island oasis, all is not perfect. After our reduction in force, we were asked to pick up some of the duties of those who were let go. Things like taking out the trash and wiping the kitchen counter quickly became "not my job". It was disappointing - I realized not everyone believed as passionately as I did that we were a united team.
My definition of customer has always included external as well as internal customers, and I can't separate how I treat my coworkers from how I treat my clients. It's all related - satisfied internal clients equal satisfied external clients. Which brings me to my point - and back to your question. If people are so focused on their own comfort/satisfaction, then their coworkers suffer and by the transitive property (woohoo! algebra in action!) so do the clients.
So, in my world, I would say 70%* care more about what's best for the customer. In the real world, I would say it's about 55-60%.
*factors not considered in my estimation include people who have school-aged children where the working on the island is as much of a perk as health insurance and passive aggressive personalities who really do have the best interest of the client at heart but make decisions that negatively impact both clients and staff due to their insecurities.
Having only worked in corporate for short time (2 yrs.) I saw that management also sees personal gain as people's motivation and tried to use it to the company's advantage. Example: Improve your year-over-year sales and we'll give you a $50 AmEx gift card. Year-over-year numbers slumping? You get to sit right next to your manager at next month's sales meeting! How childish is THAT?!
Doug is right - government is different. But in that arena I continue to have an inflated perception of thinking that people want to do the right thing. My guess there would be much higher than his 60/40, but I think the level of government has an effect on that. The closer one is to the people - local/county vs. state/federal - I think the better service one will provide.
Jodee
It depends on what I'm doing. If I think the product I'm making is pretty cool, then I'm all about final product. But if I get stuck with designing something that bores the crap out of me... well I'm basically out to protect my own ass at that point.
(posted anonymously, but we ate at Waffle House the other day)
I worked in a helicopter factory many years ago. We were numbers. I doubt many of us were concerned about the good of the company or the consumers; we were looking for a way up (more $$).
When I was in radio, where I still am, many of the people were interested in the audience (consumers), while a good many were always looking for that next station just a little larger or in a bigger market and couldn't care less about anyone else.
My day job now, I'd say the vast majority of the people here are concerned with the consumers, with a number just waiting out their days or looking for a jump to another place with more $$.
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