Do We Have a Jealousy Epidemic?

I believe that one of the issues that we need to solve is what I call the “jealousy epidemic”. Yes it has been around for a long time but I believe it is getting worse. Whenever I talk with staff in an organization they always feel like they should be making more. In many cases I have been told they should make as much as the owner. 

I think a good example was in the Dayton Daily News today (12/25/10) regarding the suspension of 5 Ohio State Football players. The majority of the articles about the event were not written about the fact that maybe not only these young men but also others involved should have thought about the situation first and the rules of the game (the scholarship rules). There wasn’t much mentioned about why the NCAA has such a strict view on what is amateur status. I didn’t see anything talking about how much their scholarships were worth (having a son getting ready to go to college I would estimate at least $45,000/year). Or an estimation of the value of the coaching and training to continue to develop these athletes. And of course I didn’t see anything talking about the potential any of these young men have for a pro contract which we all know is worth a lot of money. Or the fact that there are employers value having college athletes work for them.  Instead much was written about the how other people were making money on the talent of these young men. How did they think the organizations made money to pay for the scholarships?

It is the same in organizations. Why do we believe that individuals working for an organization should have everything the owner has? Why should an employee that has been working for a company for a few years, who works an 8 hour shift, and hasn’t invested anything in the organization, receive the same benefit as the owner. When the owner by the way has worked 70-80 hours a week for years to get the company started and keep it running so that the employees can get paid. The owner has probably invested his personal assets to grow the organization. And it is the owner that stands to lose the most if the company doesn’t succeed because he is the one that has guaranteed any borrowed funds. 

I don’t quite know when this epidemic started but it seems to be growing stronger every day. Until we can be proud of the job we do and understand the contract we have made with our organization.

If you are working for a company you have made a contract to do the best job you can do for the wage they offered you and following the procedures of management.

If you are a college player you have made a contract to continue to develop into the best player you can be while abiding by the rules of the NCAA.

 As I have told many employees, if you don’t like your “contract” then you have at least 3 options: 

1. Leave and go somewhere that pays what you want for the work that you do.
2. Learn how the organization makes money and what you can do to improve the bottom line.
3. Continue to complain and be miserable (which by the way does nothing for you, the people around you, or your company).

We need to understand that nothing comes easy; if it did we all would have had it. In the past when organizations were successful they spoiled us by increasing our pay strictly based on the fact that you were still working there. Today organization need more from their employees. Sitting around being jealous of the management and complaining won’t get you anywhere. Organizations need people who are willing to work hard, continually expanding their knowledge, and focus on what is best for the organization.

Our organizations are fighting to survive against increased competition for the world market while their employees are fighting with them. Does anyone else see the problem here?