Stakeholders v. People

KDubz·May 16, 2021

Posted in:Family & Relationships Health & Wellness Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lifestyle Society & Culture Career Growth

So per the world economic forum, the focus is no longer on the stakeholders, but rather the happiness of the workers. Has anyone felt the impact of this decision at work and if so, what has your experience been?

Larissa88·May 17, 2021

That sounds to me like they’re making a statement about what should be, not what is. Life evidence to me suggests the focus of most businesses is still very firmly on profits over people and it’s going to take some radical shifts in the attitudes of business owners to ever change that. It’s silly, of course. There is overwhelming evidence that paying people more and treating them well actually increases profits but business owners have no faith in people. Great podcast about stuff like this called Work Life with Adam Grant if it’s the kind of thing you’re interested in 😊

KDubz·May 17, 2021

Oh interesting! I'll have to check it out! I've recently noticed the push for a shift in priorities. It seems like there is too much distance between owners and people on the ground. There are also so many factors the impact people's work lives. There would need to be some very detailed strategies to execute this, but I love the idea.

Larissa88·May 17, 2021

I don’t think it’s nearly as complicated as traditional businesses would have us believe 😂 The base principle is to ask the people what they want and trust them not to take advantage of you because they won’t. People are generally honest and even if they’re not, they actually want the company to keep going so that they keep having a job so it would be counterintuitive to do so 🤷‍♀️ I really don’t know why this level of mistrust in workers has built up to the extent it has!!! We definitely need to find a new way!

KDubz·May 17, 2021

I hadn't considered mistrust as a factor. Maybe it's the whole 1% thing? The disappearing middle class? ....🤔

Larissa88·May 17, 2021

It’s the whole idea that people with less than you are constantly trying to get something from you - the philosophy that humanity is greedy by nature and everyone is out to take advantage of you if you just give in a little bit. When in reality the less money people have, the more they give away, proportionate to their income, and most people either estimate their own monetary worth (salary expectation) pretty much in line with what the “market” would say, or lower! The greedy people are the few, projecting their greed onto others to justify their greed. It’s all tied up in the “money = morality” prosperity doctrine stuff.

KDubz·May 18, 2021

Oh see now that's interesting because I thought you were coming at this from the opposite directions. Employees don't trust employers. 🤔

Larissa88·May 19, 2021

I mean it goes both ways at this point 😂 Employers haven’t given employees much reason to trust them either, behaving in the manner they do 😂 You have to give trust and respect to get it. Most employees are just trying to survive.

KDubz·May 19, 2021

Agreed!