REENGINEERING: THE ENEMY WITHIN

So far this year, major U.S. banks have announced layoffs that will eliminate jobs for more than 16,000 people. But top managers who feel just a wee bit blue about cutting their work force by 10% or 20% have a new friend to turn to for solace.

Judith M. Bardwick, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California's San Diego campus, has written a book, "Danger in the Comfort Zone," that identifies the real culprit for lackluster profitability and sagging productivity: employees.

This brief excerpt of Ms. Bardwick's argument is from the cassette version of the book marketed by Audio-Tech Business Book Summaries in Chicago:

"Everyone knows that American companies could make huge strides in profitability if they could somehow take full advantage of every employee's potential. But while managers reengineer their production techniques, they are overlooking the real obstacle - the sagging work ethic of the typical American worker.

"All too many employees refuse to work hard because they have an entitlement attitude. They think they are entitled to be paid just for showing up in the morning. They expect their regular raises and their scheduled promotions, even if they've made no effort to learn new skills. And they take their yearend bonuses for granted, even if they contribute nothing to the business all year long.

"(The entitlement attitude) cheats business out of productivity and profits. As a result, in recent years companies have been forced to slash their payrolls, which has led to soaring levels of fear. But, while fear may rouse people from their sense of entitlement, it doesn't always translate into better work performance. Instead, frightened people worry about protecting their jobs, rather than doing them.

Another Audio-Tech book summary, "Job Shock" by Harry S. Dent Jr., presents a more sanguine, and politically correct, view of human nature:

"Diversity is a strength, especially in today's customized world marketplace that consists of many different cultures. Be open to new ways of doing things, and take the time to learn the differences between individuals in terms of gender, race, and cultural background...Always assume first that conflicts are arising out of differences in perspective and communication - not out of bad intentions."

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