REVELATIONS INCORPORATED: WORKPLACE WISDOM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY by BRIAN RAY

Hello people.

Almost every organization has two kinds of employees: The Disgruntled Employee [the employee who is unhappy with some of the company's practices] and The Devil’s Advocate [the employee who speaks on behalf of the company].

A typical conversation between the two usually goes something like this:

Disgruntled Employee [in angry tone]: This company makes a lot of profit from its clients and yet they choose to pay us a pittance. I’m leaving them as soon as I get a job with a better offer!

Devil’s Advocate[in pacifying tone]:Before you complain, remember that the company has a lot of other things to pay for such as electricity bills, bank debts, building maintenance, etc. They are not making as much profit as you think they are.

Disgruntled Employee: Please spare me the rhetoric!  Do you know how much profit they make per client? The profit per x number of clients is enough to cover capital expenses if only the management will handle the money in an ethical, disciplined manner.

And on and on the conversation rages, with other employees choosing to take sides and none the wiser at the end of the day, except that the question remains: Do companies truly rip their employees off?

Well, Brian Ray seems to think so. 

In the foreword to Revelations Incorporated: Workplace Wisdom for the 21st Century; Brian claims that his book is about the truth of the corporate world and the mentality of many individuals within workplace culture.

He makes the assertion in Chapter 1: Understanding and Accepting the Reality, that many people think businesses and corporations are caring entities which make profit through ethical means. The reality, according to Brian, is that many companies will do all they can to make maximum profit, including cheating employees out of their rightful earnings.

As if that claim was not inflammatory enough, Brian states in Chapter 2: Working Through It All, that the employee who sees his job as his life is merely living in a fool’s paradise. According to Brian, the reality is that a job is simply a means to an end and that companies will send even their best employees packing when they deem fit, notwithstanding the employee’s past contributions to the business.

The ‘bad news’ continues in further chapters as Brian tackles sensitive workplace issues such as bad management, unfriendly clients and customers, as well as bullies in the workplace, citing case studies to back up his claims.

The good news, however, is that at the end of each chapter, Brian gives helpful tips for avoiding the potential landmines in the office.

I must confess that when I started reading the book, I felt the opening chapter was inflammatory and controversial. As I continued reading, however, one thing was clear. While CEOs will definitely not like the book, many employees will be able to relate with some of the scenarios painted.

For instance, he mentions that to a large extent, a lot of staff meetings are simply a waste of time and provide an opportunity for management to spout off aphorisms which promote their agenda. That is one statement the average employee will easily identify with. 

Another point Brian makes is that it is an illusion to think that doing a spectacular job every day will earn a worker raises, promotions and the admiration of management and fellow workers. According to him, the reality is that the worker in question will be held to unrealistic standards compared to other workers, and he or she may even become a dumping ground for extra work beyond their scope/job description.

The book is not all serious, however. There are bits of humour sprinkled across it especially in the chapter dealing with workplace bullies; some of whom Brian identifies with names such as The Boss's Little Pet, The Credit Stealer, The Clueless Twit, The Vampire Boss, etc.

 I recommend this book to the emotionally mature who can handle the sensitive issues contained therein without being weighed down by them, choosing rather to focus on the solutions provided.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Ray is a Business and Management consultant who has worked with companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Delphi and General Motors. He is the proprietor of his own consulting company as well as a speaker and corporate trainer specializing in promoting positive changes in businesses and people. Revelations Incorporated: Workplace Wisdom for the 21st Century is his first book and can be gotten on Amazon and other major bookstores.