You start at the bottom and work your way up -- no skipping rungs. And no retiring early -- retirement comes only after three or four decades of service.
But many people are freeing themselves from the 9-to-5 grind, refusing to wait in line to be granted leave at 62. No, they're making their own rules.
Lest my readers think that I don't believe in hard work, I do. And here's where I think hard work pays off: for yourself. Forget chasing big corporate dreams and climbing the corporate ladder, make your own dreams and climb your own ladder!
Highly profitable companies such as Motorola and NCR Corp. are freezing or scaling back pensions, reducing the incentive for long-timers.
A rare find is the company that rewards its employees for loyalty and years of service with something other than a watch or a pink slip. And I'm speaking from experience. My job was outsourced. My spouse's job was outsourced. My father was laid off from a major insurance company after 26 years of service. My mother-in-law was laid off from a major department store chain after 30 years of service. A previous boss of mine was laid off after 20 years of service. And I could go on.
I think I'll make a new acronym that compliments the old CYA (Cover Your Ass). It's going to be CYOL—Climb Your Own Ladder.
Lest my readers think that I don't believe in hard work, I do. And here's where I think hard work pays off: for yourself. Forget chasing big corporate dreams and climbing the corporate ladder, make your own dreams and climb your own ladder!
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