I'm talking about fairness.I'm talking about focusing on the real engine of our economy, the people. Let me explain:

Most corporations are (consciously or unconsciously) structured this way:

1. TOP -- Investors -- Money -- Products/Customers -- People -- BOTTOM In other words, attract growing investors, they give us money, we then can make good products, get customers, and then pay our people.

I envision another way to run an organization:

2. TOP -- People -- Products/Customers -- Money -- Investors -- BOTTOM Focus on nurturing, growing and motivating your people, who then make great products, attracting an increasing customer base -- which then delivers growing revenue, and ultimately attracts investors.

If you work at a company who focuses totally on targets and pleasing Wall Street rather than delivering great products at a good price, you work for #1. If your executive team is preoccupied with share price, news on the street, and terms like EBITDA, you work for #1. (By the way, the 'targets' they invent every year? It's a GUESS. A shell game. And guess who loses?)

If they are constantly cutting people, salaries, benefits, and other things which drive the engine of a #2 organization, you work for a #1 company.

Your management team is probably compensated with HUGE bonuses if they hit or exceed your Wall Street targets. Salary is one thing, the bonuses are the GRAVY. That's why they LOVE the #1 strategy.

It's easier (for them) to run a company where they can (temporarily) affect the targets, profits, and direction of an organization - and hence - get the payday. It's much harder to marshall the troops, invent and deliver great products, entice the customers, and deliver the money — that's MUCH harder to do. So they pick #1. Again and again.

Startups and smaller companies always have to go with #2. They start with great people, invent great products, attract loyal customers and deliver growing revenue. It's only when organizations get too big, too disjointed and too fat & lazy when those #1 company leaders swoop down and take over.

How do you stop this? It's easy.

Figure out who are those companies who truly value their people over profits.

Start buying their products.
Start investing in their stock.
Start telling other people about them.

It's companies like Zappos (pictured), SAS, Wegmans, Whole Foods, and Costco. And there are MANY others.

Take a hard look at your organization. Stop whining about how shitty work is if you work for a #1 company.

Face it, you will always be at the BOTTOM. Go find a #2 company today.