By: Janine Lloyd


Is the notion that I hold, one that believes in nurturing life long relationships, an idealistic one? Maybe, well how about respect, loyalty, common courtesy? Are these qualities to be replaced by disrespect, rudeness, back-stabbing and disloyalty? Is this the new business culture? I hope not.

In the space of two days I have seen said “out chucking” and what appalls me is the lack of common courtesy to inform suppliers or partners what was going down?

One of my colleagues has been working for this company for over five years, she has repeatedly slaved on weekends and nights, often taking verbal abuse from an overstressed client, but she has always delivered marvelously and professionally. It is nearly six months since this client had discussed outing her services, two since selecting another supplier, and she has still not heard that the job will no longer come her way. She has a family, she employs people, isn't some common courtesy required for her to be informed. Shouldn't she be given some form of warning or notice? Instead the job will be pulled from under her nose, affecting not only her pocket until a new client is found, but her dignity.

I see this attitude also reflected in the way the new regime is sweeping the government halls clean of anyone suspected of being an old regime supporter. The way white South Africans were cast aside with no thought of the long term impacts to business and government, and SA is not the only country affected by this. This ‘soulless' attitude has infiltrated into the very fabric of our society (no matter whose fault it may be) where murderers kill without a thought, where women and children are raped without batting an eyelid, where life is not valued.

This is just business and life you might say. OK I respect your decision to think this, but I want to believe that we can live in a world where people are treated with respect, where relationships are nurtured and valued, where a handshake still matters - no matter what colour you are.

Have we forgotten our values? Do we even have values? Are we living a culture enforced on us by our bosses, peers, society to get what you want no matter what the cost? To take when you feel like it, to cut people from our lives, to only care about the bottom line?

All this thinking just reminds me what I do not want to become in my life: a soulless person running a soulless business. My challenge to all of you is: lets bring back the soul in our lives, in our businesses and in our country!

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[18 Apr 2008 17:24]

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