4 ms·

IMHO, if the brand you work at wants you to take responsibility for the actions of any and all other people and other departments at the brand, they should pay

by tjogin 17y ago

IMHO, if the brand you work at wants you to take responsibility for the actions of any and all other people and other departments at the brand, they should pay you accordingly. But they don't ever do that, do they? However you look at it, the responsibility is with the board and top management. Not the people who "just work there" and are neither paid nor trusted with the kind of responsibility that Seth Godin is talking about.

timwiseman 17y ago
I think Seth has a good point here. Employees should, at least to a degree, feel a pride in the company they work for, and if they do not they should find somewhere else to work (or at least try to.) But more than that, when you are doing something on behalf of and in the name of a company then you are that company's representative, its "face" to those you are dealing with. As such, you can expect to receive both credit and blame for everything attached to that company and you are responsible for doing everything within your authority to fix problems. That limit may be nothing more than putting the person you are dealing with in the correct department, but if that is it you should pass along the contact information (in both directions!) respectfully and courteously, not dismissively with "I just work here." As a manager, I would be unhappy to ever hear one of my employees say that no matter what their job. If it was a customer facing employee, then (depending on the nuances of the circumstances) it could easily call for a formal reprimand for damaging the companies reputation and being dismissive to customers.
- shiranaihito 17y ago
  Employees should, at least to a degree, feel a pride in the company they work for, and if they do not they should find somewhere else to work (or at least try to.) I think he meant people working for companies who actually have a bad name. If you know the company you work for engages in some shady practises, you shouldn't dismiss that with "I just work here", but consider finding another workplace instead.
  - trafficlight 17y ago
    I know a guy who works for Halliburton. He's a geologist in Wyoming. He catches a ton of flack for even being associated with them.

by tjogin 17y ago

timwiseman 17y ago

I think Seth has a good point here. Employees should, at least to a degree, feel a pride in the company they work for, and if they do not they should find somewhere else to work (or at least try to.) But more than that, when you are doing something on behalf of and in the name of a company then you are that company's representative, its "face" to those you are dealing with. As such, you can expect to receive both credit and blame for everything attached to that company and you are responsible for doing everything within your authority to fix problems. That limit may be nothing more than putting the person you are dealing with in the correct department, but if that is it you should pass along the contact information (in both directions!) respectfully and courteously, not dismissively with "I just work here." As a manager, I would be unhappy to ever hear one of my employees say that no matter what their job. If it was a customer facing employee, then (depending on the nuances of the circumstances) it could easily call for a formal reprimand for damaging the companies reputation and being dismissive to customers.

shiranaihito 17y ago
Employees should, at least to a degree, feel a pride in the company they work for, and if they do not they should find somewhere else to work (or at least try to.) I think he meant people working for companies who actually have a bad name. If you know the company you work for engages in some shady practises, you shouldn't dismiss that with "I just work here", but consider finding another workplace instead.
- trafficlight 17y ago
  I know a guy who works for Halliburton. He's a geologist in Wyoming. He catches a ton of flack for even being associated with them.