Just a Job

An early Mentor of mine lamented that staff showed little interest in the broader business. The company I got my first job at was huge. It was easy to get lost and just focus on your particular role. It was also listed. This meant that anyone in the public could buy a slice of ownership. A share. Every year, the company would also have to put out an Annual Report with a letter to shareholders. Along the way there are quarterly updates. A pet peeve of mine is someone (particularly if that someone is me) being told to “think like an owner” when they aren’t. If you work for a public company though, that choice is yours (assuming you are able to squeeze a gap between what you earn and what you spend). I like to think of investing my money, as getting it a job. The advantage with shares, is you can get it 20-25 jobs (or more) and swap those jobs without the emotional baggage of swapping the job you do personally. The million-dollar question is whether you would work for a company you wouldn’t invest in? That is the heart of my mentor’s lament. When incentives are not aligned. When a job, is just an isolated job. The goal the paycheck. When we connect to something bigger, it affects every little decision we make. That is ownership.