Psychologists will tell you it’s not what you say but how
you say it that is the most important part of getting a message across.
And not just a message but your entire agenda depends upon
making people believe you are saying something else or more than just the words you are using.
This sort of verbal sleight of hand is used every second of every
day in places such as Las Vegas where many people who cannot afford to lose
$100 routinely plunk down round black pieces of plastic known as chips at a
craps or black jack table.
For those of you unfamiliar with convention black chips are
generally worth $100!
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| Schein CEO Stanley Bergman |
Politicians honed this technique over the last few decades and
businesses or corporations are masters of this psycho-babble whenever they speak
of profits and profitability.
For example Henry Schein Inc. a healthcare distributor on
Long Island has just announced the purchase of Cardinal Health Inc.’s physician
office business.
The first hint that a ‘shoe is about to drop’ as it were is
when they claim both companies will realize a slight increase in earnings over
the next year.
Really, spending so much money to buy another company alone
will make you both more profitable?
Schein CEO Bergman even went so far as to tout the deal as
good for the workers of Long Island since “the acquisition will add about 200”
jobs! And this on top of the number they
already employ which is over 17,000 worldwide.
So they are talking real numbers, no euphemisms and
certainly no chips.
Then the shoe does come into play when he mentions that they
have plans to trim the workforce by 2 or 3%.
Well that’s okay, right?
I mean 17,000 and 200 coming real soon are so much larger numbers than a
measly little one like 3, right?
Well let’s see. Three
percent of 17,000 just happens to be 510!
So this wonderful magnanimous job creating deal will
actually create a net loss of over 300 jobs.
Nicely done guys.
Sadly this type of consolidation and job loss is not an
isolated thing.
I’m not saying that businesses must sit back and do nothing
to further their need for greed and a larger piece of any and every pie but why
lie about it? Why try to make every move
you make to fill your pockets at the expense of your employees, or previous
employees look like you are saints on a mission to help your fellow man?
For once come out and say what you really mean without
mixing metaphors. Stop consciously creating
confusion in your quest for unbridled power over your peers.
We get it you don’t give a thought about the workers who
helped your company grow. You couldn’t
care less if they lose their homes or starve after you discard them.
No I don’t expect you to say those truths but don’t hit me
with the old “I’ll respect you
in the morning” crap!
The non-fiscal bottom line message in America is still purposely
filled with obfuscation. But if you are willing to read between the lines the
real agenda comes through loud and clear.
The biggest problem facing the American working middle class is that our
leaders are unwilling to listen.
