This book explains how Corporations use psychology to exploit their workers for profit. It traces the loss of morals and ethics in business from Milton Friedman’s declaration that the only function of business is to make profit to the methods of keeping workers institutionalized outlined in “In Search of Excellence” in the 80s, to the privilege our Society gives to the wealthy to break all the morals and values that the common citizens believe in. The book is revolutionary in that it discusses how our society has distorted religion for profit, and gives examples of how society and individuals might find their way back to happiness in this materialistic and wealth driven value system. It is based on the author’s own experience and research and explains how and why he left the corporate world and changed careers to find both personal and financial success.
This book explains how Corporations use psychology to exploit their workers for profit. It traces the loss of morals and ethics in business from Milton Friedman’s declaration that the only function of business is to make profit to the methods of keeping workers institutionalized outlined in “In Search of Excellence” in the 80s, to the privilege our Society gives to the wealthy to break all the morals and values that the common citizens believe in. The book is revolutionary in that it discusses how our society has distorted religion for profit, and gives examples of how society and individuals might find their way back to happiness in this materialistic and wealth driven value system. It is based on the author’s own experience and research and explains how and why he left the corporate world and changed careers to find both personal and financial success.
The two primary reasons I wrote this book are because I believe:
1.) The ethic of hard work, and personal reward for that work is a value that offers man meaning above all others.
2.) The exploitation and abuse of man’s need for meaning by those in power reduces man’s creativity and will ultimately lead to the demise of a society.
This book has been in the back of my mind since the mid-1980s when I first started my career and read a book titled In Search of Excellence [1].
My hopes are that those who read it will find the inspiration to reach all of their personal goals. While that may seem simplistic, in today’s world we are drawn so many directions that it is often difficult to even discover what might bring us true happiness.
Motivation precedes any action, and while in its simplest form it might be defined as “the will to carry out an action”, understanding how to command it in one’s own life is a more complex process. The real question may be whether or not one is carrying out one’s own will, or that of someone else.
While on the surface it appears that the last forty years have come with an increased understanding of workers’ needs, I believe there is still a missing link that needs to be filled if corporations are to keep and maintain their employees for the long haul.
This book is not about organizations and workplace goals though; it is about you, your goals, and finding ultimate satisfaction with your own life. A better understanding of organizations may lead to that end and is thus a large part of this text.
Quiet-quitting, where an employee reduces his work output to the minimum required, and essentially disregards requests for more output than required for the paid worktime has been discussed a lot over the past couple of years. Much of the discussion has been directed negatively towards the millennials with the suggestions that they’re, unmotivated, unproductive, lazy, spoiled.
At the very least, I believe once you read this you will have some understanding of why quiet-quitting is a reasonable option in certain environments today. And for those who accuse the younger millennials and zillennials of not being motivated, I hope to provide insight as to why quiet-quitting may be for the ultimately motivated in today’s world.
When I began writing this book, I did not realize what a challenge it would be to convey this information in a meaningful way while keeping the text short. The good news is that there is an extensive body of research supporting the information herein.
I’ve listened to so many people around my age (64) talk about how the younger generation doesn’t have a work ethic and how selfish and demanding they are that I felt this needed some research. The results will likely surprise anyone who buys into that stereotype.
Younger people are humans just like prior generations, and one would expect them to have the same qualities and ambitions as humans who came before them. Would it make sense that they suddenly didn’t share the hopes, and dreams of prior generations? Probably not.
Previous generations―including mine, were taught, and expected their standard of living to be higher than their parents. Owing to technology, evolution, and society, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be, but for the first time in the United States, this is not the case.
It struck me that perhaps the millennials had figured something out that was changing in our society and perhaps there was something to be learned from them.
My generation would answer that the millennials simply don’t commit themselves, but again, this doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t they commit? Isn’t it reasonable to assume that they are as intelligent and motivated as prior generations, and their decisions are based on some logic?
It turns out that my intuition back in the early ‘80s was at least partially correct, and forty years later the issues that led me to leave the corporate world at a young age have become even more evident as companies have refined their exploitation of the workforce.
In what at first appears to be a paradox, quiet-quitting may be for the ultimately motivated, and may make even more sense today than when I used the same technique, though it didn’t have a name at the time, forty years ago.
While it’s impossible to write a book like this and not share one’s own opinion because any interpretation of facts leads to opinions, and sometimes strong emotion, I have attempted to present solid evidence to support the opinions presented.
I also wanted to share facts that might not only serve as a call to action for readers willing to absorb the information, but also empower them to make the changes necessary to remain motivated throughout life.
I have met many talented people who do not reach their full potential in life for the simple reason that they have not directed their talents in a fulfilling manner. In some cases, they just don’t believe they can succeed, in others they don’t have the tools to recognize their talents, and in others they have not found the motivation or courage to make the changes in their job or career that will lead them to their maximum potential.
As someone with no particular talent, I’ve relied mostly on motivation to see any level of success in life. Thus, I’ve spent a great deal of time studying how to remain motivated, so at the very least I hope some insight towards motivation is forthcoming.
I’m excited to share this information with you and hope you find it helpful in attaining your own goals as you take life on.
He’s back! Did you enjoy Dale Funk’s No Shame - The Key to Weight Loss or No Shame – The Key to the Fountain of Youth? Then buckle up for another round of thought-provoking and envelope-pushing insights in his latest, For Corporate Rebels Only – Why Tomorrow’s Leaders are Quiet Quitting Today.
The author begins by clarifying that this book isn’t about organizations or workplace goals. Instead, it’s about personal goals and “finding ultimate satisfaction with your own life.” That’s important, because this is the backbone for the rest of the book and the concept of “quiet-quitting.”
As explained by Funk, “quiet quitting” is essentially when an employee reduces his or her work output to the bare minimum required. In clear and straight-forward voice the author goes on to discuss why quiet-quitting is “a reasonable option in certain environments today” and why “quiet-quitting” may be for the “ultimately motivated.”
It’s a premise with plenty of “get up and go,” and Funk goes after it pedal-to-the-medal.
This includes a look at why many corporations in America will continue to fail their shareholders and employees “unless they change their priorities with respect to their workforce.” But this isn’t a dry-as-the-Sahara-Desert exercise in academic minutia or Econ 101. It packs a punch. For example, readers are asked some pretty penetrating questions early on, such as “Do you feel your talents are being utilized to the fullest” (in the workplace)? Also, “Do you feel you are being justly compensated by your employers?” If your answer is No to either question, then this book may be of interest.
With great care and attention to detail, For Corporate Rebels Only moves on to look at the psychology of motivation and types of motivation in the workplace. The author points out that contrary to belief, employee motivation is not necessarily about money. Expanding on this premise, the text takes us back to the nineteen eighties and In Search of Excellence. (Remember that tome?) Focused on how to get maximum productivity from employees, In Search of Excellence was considered a ground-breaking work back in the day. Fast-forward forty years. Do its tenets and conclusions apply to today’s workforce, particularly millennials? How? Why or why not? And what’s next? These are all discussed in fascinating detail in For Corporate Rebels Only.
The discussion includes examples of “fear-based work environments” like Amazon. Twitter under Elon Musk is noted as an example of “all or nothing” approaches to the workplace and employees. There’s also ENRON. The healthcare industry and Big Pharma. Congress. Lobbyists. The Truman Show. Wells Fargo. Boeing. Bob Ross. Colonel Sanders. Bhutan and The Happiness Index. Also why wealth does not bring happiness. And quiet-quitting as a form of peaceful protest.
Meticulously researched and well-documented, For Corporate Rebels Only is written in a thoughtful and upbeat style that’s easy follow. Chapters are short and easy to digest. The author uses examples from his own life and career to illustrate key concepts. Overall, the text offers information, inspiration, and motivation in an appealing format that’s also highly engaging. After laying out its case for “quiet-quitting" and blazing a trail to getting there, the book closes with a call to reimagine a “limitless, creative society with infinite potential.”
Indeed, For Corporate Rebels Only packs a lot into roughly one hundred and thirty pages. There's much food for thought. It will probably resonate with some readers more than others. But it's worth the time, especially if you’re thinking about “quiet-quitting” and reimagining a brighter tomorrow.
My Rating: 3.5