Re: Hi

[directsystemsinc02 <directsystemsinc02@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Three cheers to these comments and don't forget when you have your company
you can forget about the curse of age and concentrate in the joys of
experience and wisdom. I, personally, don't have the energy I had at even 40
but my wisdom score is off the boards.  You must stay mentally young and be
willing to learn on a continuous basis. By the way it does help to stay in
good physical shape also. Just don't even fall into the Ben Franklin model
that said "Oh yes, he died at 25 and we just had to wait until he was 65
before we buried him."

Jack Derham
Direct Systems, Inc.



-----Original Message-----
From: consult400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:consult400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John Earl
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 7:57 PM
To: Consulting on the iSeries / AS400
Subject: Re: [Consult400] Hi


> Something is not right.  The prez of my company and other
> senior managers make nice bonuses whether we do well or
> not.  Selling out their fellow americans to make more for
> themselves or to reduce the bottom line to sell the
> company seems to be what they're all about and maybe it's
> the american way.  It's not the america that I want
> though.

I worked at a company that had never laid off anyone in their 50+ year
history.  In January of 1996 they had their first ever layoff - 6
people, all from IT - and it scared the dog poop out of me because I
realized someone else decided who was going to be let go, and I had no
control of it.  In February of that year, three of us started the
company that became PowerTech.

Now I guess that makes me one of those rotten executives that everyone
thinks makes monster dollars and gets huge bonuses.  The reality is that
the hours are long, the travel is brutal, the pay can be meager, the
criticism searing, and in the end it turns out you still have lots of
"bosses".  

On the plus side, when you're an executive you get to participate in the
decision making process and help steer the company.  Your fate is (in
large part) in your own hands, and that can be incredibly satisfying
(and motivating!).

If you work for someone else, you have to play by their rules.  If you
don't like that, you should start your own company.  Then you can be a
boneheaded rotten executive too. :)

jte