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September 14, 2001

Company as cult

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As always, I can rely on the Internet to provide me constant fodder for this column. This weeks entry is a video clip of Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, jumping around like a crazy man, exhorting the Microsoft troops to bigger and better things. The first time I viewed it I had to stop after a few seconds. It brought back memories of high-school pep rallies where the coaches would do nearly anything to get the crowd worked up into a frenzy of "school spirit." On a second viewing, all the way through this time, it brought to mind more disturbing scenes, scenes of company as cult.

Your company is not your religion or your life

The biggest problem I have with displays such as Ballmer's is that they are used to convince employees that the company is the most important thing in their lives. Any high-tech careerist who is buying into that mentality today is in danger of being totally crushed when the inevitable layoffs arrive. Companies that get employees to buy into the corporate culture risk producing people who will have difficulty functioning if the culture ever decides to jettison them.

The implications to you, as a high-tech careerist, should be clear. If you see your company's corporate culture as being more important than your own personal career goals and needs, you will not be making the best decisions for yourself. You will be placing yourself at the mercy of corporate whim and folly. You only have to look around you today, sometimes no further than your friends and neighbors, to see that companies see employees as a disposable asset; something to be discarded when they become too expensive. It is dangerous for you to believe, in any way shape or form, that Microsoft, or any company, has your best interests in mind. The company can exhort you to perform better for yourself, but, in reality, they want you to do better, and sacrifice more, to put more money in their pockets. Business is not known for its altruism.

Balance

So does this mean you shouldn't care at all about the company for which you work?. After working at Disney for 5 years, I understand that there is a certain amount of "buy in" to the corporate culture. I would walk around Disneyland and point out problems and non-functioning elements of attractions to ride operators. I felt I had an investment in the process. That said, I also had a balance. If there was a decision where I had to decide what was better for me or the company, I chose myself. No amount of "Disneyfication" could make me abandon my own needs and goals; neither should you.

These decisions were made easier every time I saw the company shed 100s of employees at a time. I had a clear understanding that the company's priorities and mine were in different places. Was the company wrong in pursuing its own agenda. Certainly not! Neither was I wrong in pursuing my own. The most important aspect is to realize that there are competing forces at work.

Power

Companies can seek to energize their employees however they see fit, but Steve Ballmer is, arguably, one of the most powerful men in the world today. Not only can he effect the lives of tens of thousands high-tech careerists, some might say he has tremendous power over the entire computer industry. I don't care to see someone with this much power acting like a high school football coach. I don't think the economy would be well-served if Alan Greenspan was seen jumping around on-stage every time he announced a cut in the prime rate. Not that I wasn't already aware of it, but such behavior only reinforces Microsoft's "win at all costs" attitude. As I often tell people when asked about my opinions of Microsoft, "they just don't understand the difference between enough and all."

It would be bad enough if Microsoft was the only company utilizing cheerleader tactics to energize their employees, but, the truth is, companies everywhere use the same tactics. After the big pep rally, you can still find yourself suddenly cut from the team. You must be aware when the company is trying to get you to go against your own better judgement. Your goal is to remember that there is a balance between your needs and the needs of the company.

about this column.

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Douglas E. Welch is a freelance writer and computer consultant in Van Nuys, California. Readers can discuss career issues with other readers by joining the Career Opportunities Discussion on Douglas' web page at: http://www.welchwrite.com/dewelch/ce/

He can reached via email at douglas@welchwrite.com

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