Today started badly. I got a message from a lifelong friend in Cincinnati. He just got his two-week notice from The Firm. This is a guy who works hard and is effective; who had 90+% billed time for over 3 years running; has kudo letters from every client he's worked with/for; has traveled EVERY week for 3 years; and is in his 2nd week between "assignments".
This is a guy with a wife and two kids, who isn't a corporate "player", but is a simple, hardworking, effective project management type willing to kill himself for his job. A soldier, and a good one. And he gets a two-week notice out of the blue?
Those of you who know me in realspace know that I was once a fairly senior person in The Firm, before becoming disillusioned with the place. I made a choice of personal control and happiness over money. Sounds sane, but it was harder than you might think.
I can't stand it. There's got to be a better way to run a company. It's just criminal - both the stupidity and the result. Why does a company not recognize the difference between people who work hard and are effective versus those who don't (but who happen have a charge number today)?
This has really upset me. It makes me want to start a company where this behavior isn't possible or tolerated. I just don't understand how this behavior has allowed the growth of a large, seemingly strong company like The Firm. Perhaps this is my wakeup call - most businesses have nothing to do with being fair or ethical. They're simply money producing machines, not really human cultures. If they're to succeed, people are expendable units, cattle to be made comfortable until the eventual slaughter.
I don't buy it. And I'm not sure what I can do in the short term, but longer term I've got to do something about it.
9:08:28 AM 
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