Economy robust, middle class income dropping?

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by Preacher

And by the way, college degrees, master's degrees, and doctorates are NOT about a persons' intelligence, they are about a persons tenacity.

very true. its like that old joke of what they call the person who graduates 1st and last in the their class at harvard medical school?

"doctor"

you see the trust fund babies, who slide by getting "c"s, then you see those on non sports scholorships who are required to maintain a 3.5. at the end of the day the degree says all the same. its all about the tenacity and drive.

[LarryNJ]

Originally Posted by Mosca

We have the reputation of being the hardest workers on the planet, Asians notwithstanding. We work more hours per week and take less vacation time than anyone. There is no shortage of work ethic in this country, and that is because of the belief that work is rewarded. I see it reflected constantly here in the forum. EVERYONE here believes in the value of work. Why? Not because we like working! It's because we believe that the REWARD is there. We have been taught that if we work hard we can win!

Take away that belief, and what is left?

Well if the original article is true, which I tend to agree with Preacher in I find it hard to believe. I think work ethic has everything to do with it. We the 40 + crowd were brought up with a great work ethic. If we work hard we'll win. If you want something earn it. When I was 11 years old I wanted a new 10 speed bike. My father told me to go find a way to earn the $69 and buy it. I got a paper route and a few months later I had my bike.

Today an 11 year old boy wants a bike that's $200 (inflation). His dad buys him the $400 bike that night. Kids don't have to work for much, it's often handed to them. I believe the parents of today do a bad job of instilling the same work ethic that our parents gave us which ultimately will hurt them when they get older.

I'm also in sales. I have seen very talented young guys who would make great sales guys. For example: they sale like crazy the first 2 weeks of the month making $3500 in commissions, than they do nothing the last 2 weeks. You ask them why and they say "I only need to make that much." Someone with a better work ethic would double that or more.

The work ethic of the younger generation simply isn't what it was.

Originally Posted by Jeremy

trust me when I tell you that every CEO in this country would snatch your benefits from you in a heartbeat if they could.

The CEO of my company believes that if you hire the best, pay them well which includes benefits, the company will be sucessful.

[Mosca]

LarryNJ,

And who among us in sales hasn't broken the bank one month... only to be told that their pay plan is being adjusted, and what used to be the ceiling is now the floor? You'll find that story to be just as common across this land as the one about sales people who only work hard enough (which I've seen far to much of, too).


Tom

[LarryNJ]

I hear ya brother!! :)

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by LarryNJ

Well if the original article is true, which I tend to agree with Preacher in I find it hard to believe. I think work ethic has everything to do with it. We the 40 + crowd were brought up with a great work ethic. If we work hard we'll win. If you want something earn it. When I was 11 years old I wanted a new 10 speed bike. My father told me to go find a way to earn the $69 and buy it. I got a paper route and a few months later I had my bike.

Today an 11 year old boy wants a bike that's $200 (inflation). His dad buys him the $400 bike that night. Kids don't have to work for much, it's often handed to them. I believe the parents of today do a bad job of instilling the same work ethic that our parents gave us which ultimately will hurt them when they get older.

I'm also in sales. I have seen very talented young guys who would make great sales guys. For example: they sale like crazy the first 2 weeks of the month making $3500 in commissions, than they do nothing the last 2 weeks. You ask them why and they say "I only need to make that much." Someone with a better work ethic would double that or more.

The work ethic of the younger generation simply isn't what it was.




The CEO of my company believes that if you hire the best, pay them well which includes benefits, the company will be sucessful.

He'd be the first I've ever heard say that.

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

He'd be the first I've ever heard say that.

i dont know if he works for cisco, but john chambers is a fine (and rich) CEO who believes its all about the people you hire and how you treat/reward them.

[GBMelBlount]

Originally Posted by Mosca

We have the reputation of being the hardest workers on the planet, Asians notwithstanding. We work more hours per week and take less vacation time than anyone. There is no shortage of work ethic in this country, and that is because of the belief that work is rewarded. I see it reflected constantly here in the forum. EVERYONE here believes in the value of work. Why? Not because we like working! It's because we believe that the REWARD is there. We have been taught that if we work hard we can win!

Tom

Tom, spoken like a true american. Great post.

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by tony hipchest

i dont know if he works for cisco, but john chambers is a fine (and rich) CEO who believes its all about the people you hire and how you treat/reward them.

He must not be rewarding his people very well then because Cisco equipment is garbage.

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

He'd be the first I've ever heard say that.

CEO's of Google say the same thing....and CEO Jim Sinegal of Costco is also all about the workers. After three years a typical full-time Costco worker makes about $42,000, and the company foots 92% of its workers’ health insurance tab.
82% of their workers are non-union.

He says “From day one, we’ve run the company with the philosophy that if we pay better than average, provide a salary people can live on, have a positive environment and good benefits, we’ll be able to hire better people, they’ll stay longer and be more efficient.”

A 2004 Business Week study ran the numbers to test Costco’s business model against that of Wal-Mart..... The study confirmed that Costco’s well-compensated employees are more productive.

The study also revealed that Costco’s labor costs are actually lower than Wal-Mart’s as a percentage of sales.... Its labor and overhead costs are 9.8% of revenues, compared to Wal-Mart’s 17%.

By compensating its workers well.... Costco also enjoys rates of turnover far below industry norms. Costco’s rate of turnover is one-third the industry average of 65%

A little homework will show that their are good/bad CEOs just like anything else in life.

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by lamberts-lost-tooth

CEO's of Google say the same thing....and CEO Jim Sinegal of Costco is also all about the workers. After three years a typical full-time Costco worker makes about $42,000, and the company foots 92% of its workers? health insurance tab.
82% of their workers are non-union.

He says ?From day one, we?ve run the company with the philosophy that if we pay better than average, provide a salary people can live on, have a positive environment and good benefits, we?ll be able to hire better people, they?ll stay longer and be more efficient.?

A 2004 Business Week study ran the numbers to test Costco?s business model against that of Wal-Mart..... The study confirmed that Costco?s well-compensated employees are more productive.

The study also revealed that Costco?s labor costs are actually lower than Wal-Mart?s as a percentage of sales.... Its labor and overhead costs are 9.8% of revenues, compared to Wal-Mart?s 17%.

By compensating its workers well.... Costco also enjoys rates of turnover far below industry norms. Costco?s rate of turnover is one-third the industry average of 65%

A little homework will show that their are good/bad CEOs just like anything else in life.

The CEO of Google is also a socialist.