Political correctness -- or not?
SASless, My Dear Fellow!
I couldn't agree more! It is with a great degree of satisfaction there seems to be a deafening pause.
My points are:
1.) We all are here to do nothing other than pay bills - current or otherwise. That is the bottom line.
2.) We have all, at some time or other prostituted our skills in the name of acquiring precious metals in order to keep body and soul together.
3.) We have been forced to accept that which was thrust at us, take it or leave it, due to market pressures - $12.00 per unit in the early days; same is now $70 odd per unit and therefore feel we deserve better.
3.) We have, for the most part, due in no small part to our various ethics - not ethnics - been flowing forth with a $12.00 mind-set, but are not, again for the most part, prepared to challenge the system - for various reasons.
4.) Those who choose not to do so fall into four main categories:
a. The unambitious or cowed who are willing to accept the $12 per unit syndrome, and therefore refuse to make waves.
b. The politically motivated who, at first blush appear to be brown nosing their way through the system - But, if notice is taken, are the ones who actually succeed in getting what they want - unfortunately most times regardless of the cost to their fellows.
c. The whimps who do nothing but stir the waters and back off to see on which back they can ride out the existing storm. What they actually achieve is to make muddy those waters and delay whatever miniscule progress happens to be forming, or worse, gives the paycheque signers reason to delay further.
d. The doers who have had enough and actually seek gainful employment elsewhere, and who make some effort to improve the lot of our cherished profession. No company is going to die because of a resignation. But, sufficient resignations WILL attract attention.
5.) I am not of the opinion that doing nothing will, or can produce positive results.
6.) Tea bags are not restricted to GMT. I have many friends from the East after whom I have taken example. The example I chose to accept was to 'Comply, then complain.' If it doesn't suit, change it; if it refuses to change, then get out or reassess my position. Recce the enemy carefully, plan your work, work your plan. What happened to the work ethic? Where is that pride and joy we strove so hard to get? Where is that edge we were so proud of? I think it got dulled over the years of prostition.
7.) It is obvious we have lost track of who we are and what we do. When was the last time we actually thought through the process of arriving safely on deck at night? - Try it; it might surprise you just how difficult it is and how we achieve that result without thinking every motion and nuance through to where the skids are down and the throttles at idle. THAT is who we are and what we do; we shoulder serious responsibilities, we are highly trained - and we are at the apex of our professional lives. Professional motivation is seriously lacking - and remember, we are handing this to our successors who watch us carefully and take example.
8.) I am not suggesting the PHI thing of 2006 is needed. What I am saying is that our profession has always collected individuals who think differently. PHI had to deal with a system that represented the collective. We will never be that collective, otherwise we would be in the GM. What we have is a collection of individuals who must represent themselves singly in order that the collection can prosper.
9.) Confucious say: Shoot for the stars and hit the moon - ok; but you have to shoot for something!
10.) Moaning and groaning is NOT going to make anything change for the better -(Tea bag or not!)
Probably a few more doers can take pages out of our book!