In going out on my own starting my company my sleep patterns are quite off and I find myself with way to much solitary time to contemplate whatever. One thing that has to do with a goal of mine requires demystifying the problem with corporations. While the average individual is comfortable to show up to work and do some unplanned level of work I seam to be afflicted with a drive that can't be satisfied and a level of patience that is quite low.
Most people who have worked in a factory environment can attest to the insanity of a corporate entity as factory workers are directly in contact with managers, supervisors, engineers, and certain bureaucratic support staff. I can unfortunately say I have no clue how the many people in this system work here day in and day out and maintain their sanity as it is bereft of common sense and is some sort of game which I assume is similar to the same game played in schoolyard popularity strife in school.
Being from a parental background that was more prison camp than nurturing home I believe I missed those school yard social development and thus this is why there are so many people who work in this environment with little disdain. That said I find myself to have a rare skill to solve problems and with an accounting background am able to minimize all non sales and marketing functions down to very basic function. Basically to me it seams most people are trying to invent board stretchers and think themselves thus quite intelligent and gifted yet generally it is as simple as merely buying a longer board. Simplicity is genius.
Unfortunately, when you've done something right no one will be sure you've done anything at all. They'll simply look at the most simple creation you put before them and think "Why that's not complex at all... anyone could have come up with that." I say, then why didn't they. But I digress, this blog entry was to be about what is wrong with Corporations, not symptoms, but root cause. Here is my latest synopsis.
The owners of a Corporation are the stock owners, many of us know this. To make changes one must own, or belong to a group who owns, 50% or more of the outstanding stock in the company. Not having 50% lowers one to expressing their thoughts at stock holder meetings. This is a fractured system were as in a private business I as owner can do what is necessary on a whim... these "owners" are fighting for opinion to be lived. Even Carl Icahn, one of the richest men in the world, has to fight to have his words not herd but acted upon with owning 5% stakes in companies. All big suggestions must be taken to a vote requiring a majority from all participants. What this means is that stock holders are left to flex their muscle, they must batter those who work in the company... CEOs, VIPs, etc into doing what they want... it's a matter of influence purely driven by the employees view of the power wielded by the stock holder. I have to wonder if it is because of this lack of power that CEOs etc are able to command such ridiculous salaries and perks. Are stock holders to afraid to put CEO pay to a vote? Or does the board represent stockholder concerns? That's the next aspect of this fractured ownership/interest... 20 or so individuals, who do not even work for the company, essentially consultants, work a number of days in the year and commanding thousands or tens of thousands as a retainer for those services... they speak on the business of the corporation.
Now to bring this mess all together and give us some perspective... once again if I own a business I make the decisions... I can act quickly. With the example large corporation ownership is fractured and thus change occurs based on influence... real change takes a miraculous coming together of these fractured interests or quite a lot of time as it trickles from specific interests down through their influence chain. This however just doesn't happen... and hears what I think is why... once again Fractured Interests... most stock holders treat that stock ownership as little more than a security that they buy at a price that will go up or down in value and then be sold... they do not generally get involved in the operations of the business... for one they do not own enough shares or know enough individuals with enough shares to group together to have a 50% majority interest... and thus they can not assuredly sway the company to do as they wish... also they just don't generally care as they are in it for the quick buck. Next up? So called VIPs, these individuals are doing a job... understand? this is just a job, they do not have a considerable amount of money invested in the company as to make them worry what would happen if the well went dry. They have millions in the bank and from the news we know bad CEOs still find jobs, so why worry? And Board Members? pfft their basically contractors, no liability will follow them. So with all this confusion who is running this place... no one... fractured interest has created a struggle for all stakeholders whether employee or stock owner to argue their points. It is little different than the struggle on a school yard as each child has no legal right to supremacy but only the learned social skills passed from parents, psychologists call this nurture, or simply blistering those they wish to hang over, this would be nature (though it can be a learned response to traumatic events or simply a disheveled lifestyle at home which is categorised under nurture). So, in synopsis, once again, a corporation really is nothing more than a power struggle based on ones ability to influence others into believing in their authority. If I am the Plant/General/Factory manager for one complex in a corporation and in the same building is another of that corporations complexes then I have no authority over those in it however my title might intimidate and my connection with the complex VP may allow me power over those in the other complex. The only thing left to talk about is the obvious link of boss and subordinate, and truly this is where I find myself perplexed where as the average person seams to flow, and fail through it without disdain. Due to the fractured nature of the business entity very little actually gets done and thus goals are unlikely to be met unless you are the direct boss of those you are accountable for. And there's a piece of my answer, as an engineer I was responsible for the actions of all but had power over none. And the fact that others do not share my drive could simply be the difference of growing up with over bearing parents, I'm just accustomed to good not being good enough, of seeing accomplishments as a momentary win but immediately leading to more unsolved challenges and thus an incomplete sense of accomplishment. Fine enough, but one last thing remains, I find myself outside my mind with the dealings I have with Quality Managers, Factory Managers, basically anyone who reports on me to VIP level Staff. My colleagues seam on even kilter. For example, I go to Quality meetings providing solutions and time frames, if I do not have a solution one is made up for me and I must follow it no matter how ridiculous it is. If I do give an option the time frame is always cut by the QM as he is the keeper of the form and no matter of friendship or cutting him out of the loop affects him as he can merely go to VIPs and speak if our continued inability to meet the goals on his magic sheet. I suppose my colleagues just roll with it. "Where cutting 20 days off your project" ok we'll see what we can do. "Your project is late" You know it's been a lot of work there's this and that. "Since you don't have a solution to cuts in fabric we want you to line surfaces with foam rubber (even though the tools used are obviously whats causing the problem)" Ok. "Why didn't YOUR foam rubber project stop cuts". It was one possibility on the list. "What are you going to do about it!?!". Uhhhhhh (think, think, think) we're going to tighten these and lighten those and Whipple whirl the widgeters. I don't know. I think my biggest problem is my colleagues act seriously about their jobs and I find it impossible too. I could play the part, walk around numb and dumb, come up with whatever answer comes to the top of my head, and take my beatings and brush them off... but it's the time... sitting there every day... no short time goals that keep my mind busy... just playing the game... I go nuts... I guess that must be the difference... so how do they stand it? When I was a child I'd sit for hours and daydream and entertain myself without issue. Maybe that's how they are. Maybe I need meditation, Yoga, haha. But, the point of all this is, the only way I currently see to QUICKLY clean up a corporation... is to buy half of it. But one has to wonder would the money made even amount to enough verse other options to where it would be worth the hassle...
