In January of 2002 a book was released called, “Who moved my Cheese?” Now if you’ve read this book, you know that it talks about the changes we all experience at some point in time in life and how we shouldn’t be surprised by them but should actually plan for them. Seems like a basic concept but the release of that book turned into a best seller because of its straight forward and profound message.

I was reminded of that book recently. Although it’s been years since I have read it I actually witnessed the real life version of it with the latest corporate closer of one of the largest Medicare insurance services in the business. Prudential acquired Assurance IQ in 2019 and they created a Medicare insurance provider juggernaut. Then, in five short years, they flipped a switch and shut the whole thing down in a day. 

It was a move that came without any warning, no time for preparation, and put thousands of people out work.

Needless to say, people were pissed.

And rightfully so. I mean regardless of the circumstances that led to the power that be deciding to close down that portion of the company, the fact that they did it without any regard to how it would effect the people at the bottom simply is distasteful. They SHOULD have let people know what was going on. At the very least given people the ability to prepare. Most people were simply blindsided by it.

But, upper management did what upper management does, they took care of themselves.   

So people have been scrambling to find new places of employment. Looking for new companies that have the platforms and pay to compensate for what people lost. And it’s been quite the fascinating process to watch.

The people that didn’t have much time to lose before their bills were stacking up, jumped on the first train they came across, regardless of any other options and contracted with them within days. So worried about the loss of their jobs and their inability to maintain their lifestyle they simply took whatever they could get as fast as they could. Totally motivated by pure fear.

Then I watched people in management utilize the people in their teams as currency to broker themselves management positions with other companies.

“Listen, I was a Sales Manager at Assurance, I’ve got 20 people that were a part of my team. Give me a management position with your company and I can bring those people with me. I’m talkin’ top producers that will bring in revenue…” 

Or something to that effect.

And the sad part is, a lot of those people in those teams blindly followed their managers. Regardless of the deal they simply lined up to contract with whatever company their managers said to contract with. So here you got some of these managers that negotiated sweet comp deals for themselves, and yet when it came to the comp for their agents they simply took whatever the company offered and then sold it to the agents.

There’s a term for what this is called. I’m not totally familiar with it. But I think it’s something along the lines of the behavior of, low life bottom feeders. Or something to that effect. Managers that are all to eager to maintain their title and pay that are willing to do it off the backs of gullible people.

And that is the part of what I’ve seen that has made me the sickest.

As a Leader, you have an obligation to look out for the people under your leadership. When you go to a negotiation table, the comp you negotiate first, should be for the people that work under you. Your comp negotiations should come last. You should be looking for the ABSOLUTE BEST DEAL POSSIBLE for the people working under you.

THAT IS THE MARK OF A TRUE LEADER

Anything else is simply you behaving like a low life bottom feeder with a title. You’re just a glorified parasite.

And if you are comfortable with that, then more power to ya. But don’t delude yourself into thinking you are a “good” manager or even a “good” person if the people on your team are making less than what they could be earning. You are simply being a thief by preventing good people from taking advantages of other good opportunities because they don’t benefit you.

And if you’re someone that is reading this that either jumped quick into the first thing you came across or who blindly followed a manager into a company that put you in a box and stifled your pay, then hopefully reading this has helped you open your eyes a bit and you have learned a valuable lesson. One that will not be duplicated in the future.

This latest corporate failing is a marked example of why it is so important to have a savings account and to not put all your eggs in one basket.

And most importantly why it’s so important to NOT LIVE YOUR LIFE IN FEAR. People who make decisions rooted in fear do not make good decisions. Don’t be one of them. Don’t be afraid to ditch the parasite. Be patient. Be calculated. Be well.

Copyright©2024 Jacob C. Larson All Rights Reserved

Read more at: A Truth about Self Employment that Eludes you 

***No, I am not accusing ALL managers of being low life bottom feeders that are simply using their teams as currency to make themselves good comp deals. I am however challenging managers to take a good long look at the motivations behind what they are doing. If the shoe fits, wear it! Then do the right thing and stop being a low life bottom feeder parasite POS. 

****If you haven’t read the book mentioned in this blog, “Who moved my Cheese”, I would encourage you to do so. I’d also encourage you to get a copy of my latest book, “Practical Ramblings on Relationships”. It’s been getting some great reviews. Check them out! 

Looking for something to motivate your Sales force? Check out the video below. Feel free to steal as much of it’s content as you’d like!