Why Do We Hate Banks?

Over the last few years with more visibility of corruption in the corporate world, markets collapse, housing bubbles burst, sub prime fiasco, Madoff's multi-year fraud and so on and so on.  It's troubling times.

In every spectrum of the media we see and hear how "those Bankers" caused one of the biggest market collapse in our nation's history.  The government blames them, Wall Street blames them, corporations blames them and the consumer blames them.  Let's face it, we all hate 'em these days.  We certainly don't trust them further than we can throw them. 

But, I can remember a time not that long ago when the banking industry wasn't a bad thing.  B-A-N-K wasn't a bad four letter word.  In fact, it was a well respected place to work.  It was not only an acceptable place to take your money for safe keeping and earn money on your money, it was ludicrous not to.  I mean these banks even guarantee the safe keeping of your monies (well, up to $100K).  Pretty much your money is safe, tracked and usable while in the bank.

Let's say a team of a bank robbers come in one day and rob the bank where your money is deposited.  They steal everything in the drawers, the vaults, etc.  Are you worried?  No.  We don't even blink an eye when we read or hear about banks being robbed.  Even if it's the bank where you bank.  It's a nuisance. Thank goodness we weren't in the banking centers when it was being robbed and no one was hurt, but that's the extent of our worries.  We know the banks are going to great lengths to prevent theft and they have a pretty good track record of catching bank robbers.  It's almost a sure thing you won't get away with robbing a bank. Our money is safe. It's insured with the FDIC.  And, our money is still available to spend as we need.

Have we lost faith in banks?  Then, why not take our hard earned money out of the banks and keep it close at hand?  We all know if you're not going to use a bank, you either dig a hole somewhere in your back yard for long term safe keeping or you place under your mattress or a cookie jar for ready cash.  Your money is now guaranteed with S&W or a baseball bat.

But, what if those same bank robbers break into your house and steal all your money (that's no longer in the bank....that we no longer trust).  Guess what?  That money is gone.  Ba-bye.  It might as well never existed.

Remind me again why we hate banks?  Are we mad at them because they've gotten so big and so complex that we're not really sure what they're doing anymore?  Perhaps.  But, in all fairness, they still provide the basic services and protections that frankly we don't have if we're not using them.

Are we mad at them because they charge us fees for some of their services?  Doesn't every business?  Are we mad because they make us pay a fee when we spend more money than we have?   And hey, if you do want to spend more money than you have.....they'll cover you.  It's an added cost, but it has its benefits, right?

These banks will also allow you to borrow money based on your "potential" so you can buy cars, houses and other things.  That's right, you don't have to have money now to have the house, the car, the whatnot.   Seems like a win/win to me.

Of course, I'm oversimplifying, but somewhere along the way our sense of entitlement and perhaps misguided "needs" that are really "wants" have warped our value system.  The corporate engine, banks included are about making money. It's a give and take system.  For everything they give, there is a take.

If you have bad spending habits, that'll come at a price.  If you quit making payments for something you promised to pay for, then you can't keep it.  This isn't a rule just in the banking industry.  This is any industry....

There are plenty of wrongs in the banking world, across Wall Sreet and sadly across humanity.  But, for every wrong...there are a lot of rights that are worth remembering.  To each our own, payback will come.  Not always in our time frame.  But, it will come.  Count on it.

For those of you who work for a bank, remember the little people.  You may want to spend a little more time to help us remember why we used to like and trust you.

What a Girl Wants

I want what I want.  Don't we all? I want my cake and icing and YES...I want to eat it too.  Who wants a cake that you can't eat?  Or new shoes that you can't wear?  We want them.....because.

Because we're entitled to them?  That may be a stretch.  Because we've earned it?  Much better.  However, all men and women are created equal.  Let me hear an "Amen".   Somewhere in the constitution, bill of rights and amendments...."We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity......"   We do have rights......all of us.  And, not just when someone is having a good day.  It's every day.

I'm a firm believer of my rights and the three Rs.  RESPECT, RECOGNITION and REWARDS.  It should be in every code of ethics book written in corpA.  If it's not....then we could have a problem.  You could have many problems across your organization.  Unhappy people are very unproductive people.  Unhappy people can grow exponentially and rupture the strongest infrastructure.  Unhappy people create wars, strife and misery.  Remember that.  We don't want unhappy people.....let's all be happy. :)

What this girl wants is to be respected, recognized and rewarded. I want my three Rs.  And, I want them in that order...for the most part.  Respect, reward and recognition.  Is that asking too much?  You should ask yourself (often), are you being valued, included and appreciated? Do you have a seat at the table?  And when you're at the table, are you heard? 

When you do a good job and you're prepared and you deliver time and again, are you recognized, touted or praised?  Let's give a shout-out for the great job you did. Woohoo, you're a rock star!  Shine baby, it's your time.  It is your time.

Are you being compensated fairly, equitably and without discrimination?  It matters not if you stand or sit when you go to the lady's (or men's) room.  Whether you wipe of shake.  But, please let's all wash up afterwards.  It's the right thing to do.  So what if we have fuzz and hair above our upper lips...we should be paid fairly without regards to whether we shave, wax or bleach. 

Unfortunately, women still earn less than $.80 to every dollar paid to our husbands, sons, dads, brothers, boyfriends, nephews, etc.  It's a gap we all need to work on.

What a girl wants?  We want a lot, it's true.  It's a giant leap sometimes to get the three Rs.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.  So now Respect, Recognition and Reward abide, these three; but the greatest of these is Respect.

Working in Coporate America - Life in the Fast Lane

Start your engines.....rev it up for good measures.  It's time for life in the fast lane.  Working in corporate America is fast paced, crazy, dynamic and scary.  Like driving in Dallas, TX, I635 during rush hour.  Okay, it's faster than driving during rush hour.  But, rush hour gives the same semblance of constant turmoils, constant lane changing, crazy drivers that's only in it for themselves.   Watch out little blue haired (elderly) ladies.  Moms, hold those babies close.  You get caught in this traffic war....it's survival of the fittest.  Bravery and sometimes per spite.

I've cried (many times) driving in this crazy traffic where all politeness, genteel upbringing and education matters not.  Every man (and woman) for themselves.  The roads within corpAmerica.....with constant org changes, management changes, strategy changes, etc.  In with the new priorities, out with the old.  Chaotic up-and-down work flows.  And, in this madcapped market with many bodies laying on the roadside, you see roadkill on a daily basis. The oil for the corporate engine is spotted on all the major highways.

Some days blur into many other days.  It's hard to stay on cruise control in corpA.  But, a lot of folks do.  It's amazing how many can stay on the road with non-adherence to speed controls.  But, those coasting can take in the signs and sights along the way.  Do those coasters miss their turns?  Probably not.  They have time to assess and then veer off at the last minute.  Unlike the racers on the road who have a need-for-speed.  Those crazed road-ragers can be so channelized.  They're fast and they want you out of the way.  They're quick to anger and will run you over if you're in the way.   Is speed a good thing in corpA? 

My guess, it's all in the timing.   There are some days coasting is exactly what the doctor (or highway patrolman) orders.  Other days, that amber light means push the pedal to the metal and go like hell.  Of course, don't get caught flying under the red zone.  Red is not our friend.  Especially in corpA.

Signing off for now.
CorpGirl