I was with my son yesterday and he mentioned his friends who have what they call, "golden handcuffs."
Jobs they hate with money they can't refuse.
Sometimes paying people more trying to motivate them, forgiving their obvious attitude issues is corrupting the business.
I've always been an advocate of the attrition policy, even in my books, "cut the dead wood" is a common phrase I use to avoid having people in an organisation who have golden handcuffs.
Sure, it proves a few things. First, golden handcuffs shows that far more people are not doing what they love in life but stay for the money. My estimate from the last few years of enquiry puts this figure at 80% of employees.. with a minimum of 50% in the best companies.
Second it proves that most corporate training, workshops and conferences aimed at motivation are a total bandaide. They patch over an underlying problem.
But I think the most revealing fact is that it proves that your boss probably hates their job as much as you. So, if you're struggling with your boss, and they are struggling with their boss, the likelihood is that they'd prefer to be out fishing, smoking a joint or doing something else. But the golden handcuffs keep them where they are.
In my business I believe there are two levels of disengagement.
First, I call glitches. Where individuals disengage from work because something, a cold or flu, an argument at home or some family problem disrupts their day. That's a glitch and I'm extremely compassionate about that for - ohhhh lets say "24 hours or so."
The second level of disengagement is more sustained. This I refer to "time for change." I encourage an individual to step up to the plate, coach them to move through issues, look at what I can do to help, but rarely, unless they can prove the market has left them behind in salary, pay more money.
With the ever advancing real estate market prices, pressures on people to own the latest Ipod, the cost of dinner and even concerts costing nearly a week's wages, it's getting harder for people to become Job loyal. So, the golden handcuffs are how companies keep employees - unfortunately - in a state of mediocrity.
The cost of the golden handcuffs is more than a business cost. An individual may become ill, frustrated at home, depressed and addicted when they are bound to the money without real commitment to the work.
I've worked with people all over the world and for me, the golden handcuffs represent the greatest corruption to the human condition possible. We get into these loops of buy more, need more, earn more - and in doing so, loose the freedom to bring our real value to life.
As a consequence of golden handcuffs, people suddenly raise the "family" to their highest value. They say, "my job is not the most important thing in my life, crappy work is worth the sacrifice." And this is an admirable statement. But sucking the life out of children, living vicariously through families does nothing for the human spirit.
When people choose money over inspiration they make a choice that few understand the cost of.
I work with addictions, depressions, heart broken men, obesity, domestic violence, cruelty and corporate emotional bullying. Most of it - if not all - can be traced to "Golden Handcuffs."
For more on this, check out my book at www.innnerwealth.com
