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Most importantly, however, the CEO should know the names of janitors and maybe clean a toilet or two, you know, to not lose touch with the employees.

skywal_l 4y ago
I believe this is what they do in Japan. Bosses of small to medium companies regularly clean toilets as an act of humility. At least I know for sure that kids in school clean their own school. Maybe someone from Japan can chime in.
- club_tropical 4y ago
mikkergp 4y ago
It sounds like you’re being sarcastic But I’ve heard this advice a lot actually, especially for small businesses
- club_tropical 4y ago
  I’ve heard it, too, of course. It is gaslighting. The tyranny of constantly having to signal worship of humility and countersignal pride and pursuit of distinction. The truth is, nobody who make an effective company did it because they cleaned the toilets or knew the janitor’s name. They might do those things strategically / instinctively almost with the sole purpose of conspicuous virtue signaling.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - mikkergp 4y ago
    > sole purpose of conspicuous virtue signaling. I don't understand this sense that everything positive people do is actually negative. Part of being a good leader is _acting_ like a good leader. You can't be the type of leader who makes people feel special by remembering their name if you don't actually remember anyones name. That means rolling your sleeves up every once in a while. At a 221,000 person company like Microsoft? Ok, maybe that's not accomplishing much(unless the CEO caused the poop-splosion, then it's just good manners) but at a 50 person warehouse? Yeah, sometimes you take on some shitty work. Maybe, every once in a while the CEO is _actually_ the best person to do it. A CEO can strategize while plunging a few toilets, a line worker can't work the line when theyre doing it.
    - club_tropical 4y ago
      I do not consider the CEO knowing the janitor’s name or cleaning toilets a “positive thing”. It is a vacuous action explicitly made for virtue signaling. No CEO ever quietly plunges toilets and actually thinks this is helping him stay in touch with the business. Not knowing the janitor’s name != not knowing your employees’ name; this is false equivalency. The janitor is not part of your employment or business. “Rolling your sleeves” in a 50 person warehouse might look like keeping up with your forklift skills to evaluate new equipment or whatever, not cleaning the toilets.

skywal_l 4y ago

I believe this is what they do in Japan. Bosses of small to medium companies regularly clean toilets as an act of humility. At least I know for sure that kids in school clean their own school. Maybe someone from Japan can chime in.

club_tropical 4y ago

mikkergp 4y ago

It sounds like you’re being sarcastic But I’ve heard this advice a lot actually, especially for small businesses

club_tropical 4y ago
I’ve heard it, too, of course. It is gaslighting. The tyranny of constantly having to signal worship of humility and countersignal pride and pursuit of distinction. The truth is, nobody who make an effective company did it because they cleaned the toilets or knew the janitor’s name. They might do those things strategically / instinctively almost with the sole purpose of conspicuous virtue signaling.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- mikkergp 4y ago
  > sole purpose of conspicuous virtue signaling. I don't understand this sense that everything positive people do is actually negative. Part of being a good leader is _acting_ like a good leader. You can't be the type of leader who makes people feel special by remembering their name if you don't actually remember anyones name. That means rolling your sleeves up every once in a while. At a 221,000 person company like Microsoft? Ok, maybe that's not accomplishing much(unless the CEO caused the poop-splosion, then it's just good manners) but at a 50 person warehouse? Yeah, sometimes you take on some shitty work. Maybe, every once in a while the CEO is _actually_ the best person to do it. A CEO can strategize while plunging a few toilets, a line worker can't work the line when theyre doing it.
  - club_tropical 4y ago
    I do not consider the CEO knowing the janitor’s name or cleaning toilets a “positive thing”. It is a vacuous action explicitly made for virtue signaling. No CEO ever quietly plunges toilets and actually thinks this is helping him stay in touch with the business. Not knowing the janitor’s name != not knowing your employees’ name; this is false equivalency. The janitor is not part of your employment or business. “Rolling your sleeves” in a 50 person warehouse might look like keeping up with your forklift skills to evaluate new equipment or whatever, not cleaning the toilets.