A response to the negative comments about the Undercover Boss show.
I was reading some comments on NewsVine about the new show, Undercover Boss. They were so negative that I felt I had to say something, so below is my post in response to them. The original comments on the show can be found at: http://business.newsvine.com/_news/2010/03/22/4050445-undercover-boss-spurs-shop-floor-changes#comments
Wow. It’s interesting to see all of the negative comments about this show, and nothing positive. It’s like there is nothing the CEO could do that would satisfy you except to give up his paycheck, admit he’s a pig, and give raises to everyone. Someone even said “anyone can be a CEO.” Wow. You have really no clue what it takes to build and run a company. Mental labor is as important to a company as physical labor. Sure, the guy couldn’t stack boxes, but he was able to create and grow a company into a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and he EMPLOYS thousands of people. Can you do that? Can you work 24 hours / day, 7 days a week for 10 years to accomplish that? He did it. He created the company. He gave THOUSANDS of people jobs. Did he get rich? You’re darn right he did, and he deserved it.
Every front-line worker showed that they were hard-working, talented people. They exhausted themselves to make a few bucks to help pay for stuff for their kids, or their weddings, or something nice for themselves, and they deserve a good paying job. And they have a good paying job. And, this is important, if they want too, they have the opportunity in this country to create their own company, in turn creating jobs for other people and possibly becoming millionaires themselves some day. But you’ve got to have the drive to do it, the will to do it, and the resolve. And you have to have the right attitude, which as I’ve seen in these posts to this point, none of you have.
It’s pathetic listening to people gripe and moan that all managers and execs have no clue, that they’re stupid people who don’t deserve what they have and all they’re out for is themselves. That attitude, the entitlement attitude that you “deserve” more than you’re getting because someone else has a better car than you, and you don’t “think” they deserve it over you, is what can destroy our country. You’re not entitled to anything. You must work for it. You must use that amazing brain that God provided you with to see opportunity, create a better place for yourself and others, and quit being such a selfish, self-entitled, negative person who only thinks about what other people have instead of what they can do to better themselves.
As to the comment about education and college. Really? Did you even go to college? Do you know what types of things you learn in college? Only a person who either didn’t go, or dropped out because it was too “hard” to study, could really say that. I’ve learned so much about the inner workings of economics, society, accounting, computers, programming, project management, science, math, presentation skills, writing skills, human interaction, business, international business, globalization, localization, the importance of self-worth, the needs of communities, and so many other things, that I know only people who haven’t gone, or drop out and really never “showed up” to college, could say that it’s a waste of time.
In case you’re wondering about me, I grew up getting free lunches at school, was raised in the ghetto, left a bad situation at my home and was on my own to make things work. I held down two jobs to paid my own way through college. I’ve worked as a waiter, fry cook, telemarketer, quality assurance associate, stats admin, systems admin, website programmer, project manager, programming manager, director of IT, CTO and entrepreneur. I’ve waited on people who tipped 10 cents for a meal, have fielded calls from customers who cussed me out and threatened to slit my throat if they could, have totally messed up and thought I’d lost my job a couple of times, and have been laid off. But through it all I’ve known that hard work, direction, resolve, education, having and promoting a positive attitude, like the warehouse “picker” at GSI, striving to be the best at whatever I do, understanding that the people at the “top” worked their behinds off to get where they are, and that no one is “entitled” to anything, but must educate themselves and work for it, have gotten me to where I am today. I love my life, my family, my career, my education, my country. I do know that it’s all a gift from God, and can disappear in an instant. This just makes me want to work harder, meet new people, create a network of positive relationships, and do what I can.
What a rant. Sorry that was so long but it just disgusts me to see so much unfounded negativity. You, and only you, can change yourself. You, and only you, make your surroundings. Your frame of mind, your attitude, your drive, your education, your love of God, love of friends, love of country, are all yours to do with what you will. Quit spewing your cancerous negativity. Go out and make something positive, change yourself and your life. Or stay where your out and get out of everyone else’s way.
I agree with you 100% on this one.