Don’t believe everything you see on television.
The following is strictly commentary. The comments made here are mine and mine alone, and in no part are related to The Free Management Library.
Powerful corporations taking advantage the general population seems to be the stereotype, doesn’t it? Are, we, trainers, helping them do that? I know this sounds somewhat sacrilegious, since I, too, have been in the business. I have been watching a show on Netflix. I know. Don’t believe everything you see on television. This show is about a future where the corporations are united and are the government, and this corporate government is having the problems with anti-corporate factions, or freedom fighters.
We see a little of that anti-corporate sentiment going on right now–that image in the media–the big corporation against the little man always makes a better story. In this TV story the focus is on a corporate cop who gets transported back to 2012 along with a bunch of criminal freedom fighters from that future world. Interesting premise except these freedom fighters are more like terrorists.
So, why am I going off on such a weird tangent? I’m sure you’ve heard it said that contempt grows from within. Stockholders want to make money and corporate officers want to get ahead. Who could blame them? However, it is they who are responsible for the widening gap between the highest paid and the lowest paid worker. Maybe it isn’t any of our business, but I think we have some responsibility to the people who are being trained by us to produce more for the company.
One way we can help is to encourage leadership, union and the workers whom we train that transparency is best for all. It does make for a happier and more contented workplace. And, with that we have made our customers happy. So it’s win-win.
I was not so amused the other night when a local professional theatre performed HAIR. Three of us reviewed it, and from the reviews I think I was the only one who had lived in the era because the other reviewers saw definite relevance to today’s world. I did not think there was much relevance in the way that the musical intended in 1968, when there was a mega-clash of freedom and the uptight corporate world. Now, it’s not like that; if the clash is coming, it’ll be economic, and corporate greed will be apart of that. That’s the world we live in today. By the way, HAIR was excellent in song, music, sound and choreography, but it did not resonate in relevancy. Yes, there is war, and yes there are people who oppose it, but far more people are understanding it all. They aren’t as divided, making eventual solution possible. HAIR was a wake up call in 1968; HAIR is a reminder in 2013 we need to keep things in perspective.
To be sure, we aren’t directly involved. We don’t have anything to lose really–business-wise. We can carry-on as always–do what we’ve always done and still make a buck. However, to not notice the world around us and the people we train who are part of that world may be a bit irresponsible. Perhaps, it just takes more of us being aware and analyzing our audience as best we can.
This has just been a couple of my thoughts on a Thursday afternoon. I hope maybe I’ve stirred some of yours.
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Jack Shaw is a communicator who does training and has been in the trenches as well as in management and development areas. His priority is how to communicate credibily in the workplace.