The Wheels on the Bus Fall Off

I have long held the thought when it appears that everyone in the room is an asshole, chances are very good that there is only one asshole in the room and he can't be seen without the use of a mirror. Still, every now and then it's just possible that the room is filled with assholes.

Last July I was laid off. There were a lot of factors that went into that decision, but there was one little detail that sealed the deal. The board of directors held a secret vote of confidence on the CEO. They went to the three major revenue earners and asked if they had confidence in the CEO. They knew the question was coming. The CEO had foretold it. They had every reason to pledge their loyalty to the CEO. Yet all three of them stabbed in the back, ultimately for personal gain. Now one of them has resigned and the death knell for the company is ratcheted one decibel higher.

This earner knew exactly what he was doing. He had no reason to help the company to succeed. He benefits by its failure. But in so doing, he will have effectively put more than fifty people out of work.

Such selfishness is the essence of evil.

Now, understand that we're not talking about making a decision to either help keep a company afloat so or feed your children. We're talking about doing your job and honoring your commitments, or not buying the 2008 Landrover for your family's third car. There really isn't any moral ambiguity here. There is simply greed. As a result, people who devoted more than twenty years to building a company will be walking away with nothing, and one man walks away with a few thousand dollars that he's not even entitled to.