The Hunger Games, a (Career coach) Boy on Fire and BACON!

The Hunger Games, The Boy on Fire, and BACON!
Continuing the “movie” theme from my last blog (The Lorax, Planting Seeds, and HOPE) this week I take you to the world of…
The Hunger Games
Last Friday, we took my daughter to see the movie with her friends’ birthday party. My wife, daughter, and I all read the trilogy written by Suzanne Collins, so we were REALLY looking forward to the movie.
For those who don’t know the overall theme…all twelve of the Districts are required to send TWO children every year to compete “to the death” in the Hunger Games. This is their punishment for attempting to revolt against the Capital. All citizens are forced to watch the Games, and see all but two contestants die.
Every family MUST enter every child’s name at least once, but can choose to enter a child’s names multiple times (thus increasing their chance of being chosen) in order to obtain additional benefits (extra food, clothing, etc.)
The story covers the 2 children who represent District 12, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.
Without giving away what happens, I had a really weird thought as I watched the movie. The children whose names are entered to be selected for the Hunger Games are sacrificed like so many workers who were cast aside these past 4 years by organizations who attempted to stay in business (avoid the wrath of the Capital.)
Why are layoffs the first knee-jerk reaction that organizations pursue, and why are the people on the front line who serve their clients, make their products, deliver their services, and perform the tasks required to keep the organization running the ones who are always pushed out so they are left to fight to the death with the other unemployed to get re-hired? My career counseling advice is to tell my clients to avoid the types of organizational cultures that treat their employees this way.
We have seen this trend repeat itself almost constantly since 2008. In my DUAL role of career coach and business coach consultant, I have been helping the people that were sacrificed. Much like Hamitch Abernathy, the drunk Hunger Games victor from District 12 who is forced to help train Katniss and Peeta, the best I can do is give people the tools required to find their DREAM job in today’s Global contract workplace.
Allow me to introduce the “Boy on Fire.”
Katniss becomes known as the “girl on fire” before the Games when the competitors are introduced to the viewing public during a televised pre-Games event. The designer assigned to work with her and Peeta dress them in shining black costumes with live flames to symbolize their District as a coal-producing region. Getting the public to like you is critical for Game participants. During the game, people can send you much needed supplies to keep you alive IF they like you.
Well, it’s taken me FOUR years, but I’m finally becoming the BOY ON FIRE with my career counseling services. Business is booming, personal referrals are coming in for my career coaching, and the “Districts” are starting to embrace my job search, career transition, and business strategies.
Which leads me to (mmmmmmmmm) BACON…
We all know that it is bad for us, but we eat it anyway. It tastes soooo good. What BACON have organizations been eating? Stated differently…what are the things that organizations are doing that they know are bad for their long-term health, but they continue to do those things because they’re familiar, easy,and reliable (like laying off their employees when times get tough.)

Eating the BACON (or continuing to do things that are doomed for failure) is the behavior that got us in this position in the first place. It begin in the 1980s with outsourcing and off-shoring, continued through the introduction of the internet, advanced technology, global competition, and massive layoffs across EVERY industry.
So to all you organizations that believe you an keep eating the bacon and not suffer any adverse health effects…you must change constantly to survive. Here’s a list of To-Dos to get you off that salty, heart-disease triggering pork product:
* Treat your employees like your customers;
* Treat your customers like your employees;
* Spend MORE on your marketing;
* Make emotional connections with your partners;
* Treat your top customers differently; and
* Look to build stronger relationships with your partners, vendors, suppliers, consultants, contractors.