[Discuss] Justify your existence

[jack at coats.org (Jack Coats)]

Here are a few personal truisms about 'overhead'.

A long time ago, I found that you are 'overhead' if you are not in the
'Business of the Business'.

If you are in healthcare doctor or a nurse, you are in the business,
if you are mopping the floors in a hospital, doing IT, doing
accounting, you are overhead.

If you a banker or teller you are in the banking business, if you are
in IT, or marketing, or greeters, you are 'overhead'.

If you are a 'boss' and not the highest on the food chain, you are overhead.

If you are at Walmart (or generic big box store of any flavor) and
aren't checking folks out (like stockers, cleaners, truck drivers,
etc) you are overhead.

If you are working for a IT service provider (consultant, computer
operator) you are in the business of the business, if you check badges
or are security, or make sure the backup generators work, you are
overhead.

If you are in sales, and don't get enough sold so the bosses see you
as 'profitable' and an 'income earner', you are overhead.  A friend is
a sales guy, and his company just let go of many sales droids because
they 'didn't make the numbers', even though the market is down
especially in the low performing areas (regions, states, districts, or
other geographical organization).  (His business sells chemicals to
put in concrete to make concrete act differently ... contact me
directly if you want to discuss this.)

Whatever you do that isn't directly in line of causing cash income, is
overhead.
Even if you are and you don't cause 'enough income' you can be
considered 'overhead'.
(Enough isn't just enough to pay for your and expenses, it is enough
to pay the entire boatload of expenses, costs, fixed overhead, etc,
even before 'profit' is in the picture.)

This is a life observation, not theoretical, also it isn't right or
wrong, it just is.

To me, it seems like whatever internal infrastructure it takes to keep
a business working is critical to the business existence should be
important, but if you are not a direct cause of cash coming in the
door (this quarter) you are considered overhead.

Once I realized this truism, it has made several 'changes' in life
more palatable and enabled me to get on with life.  Before that, I
stewed on it, grumped, whined, complained, and couldn't let go.

Yes, I have been caught on both sides of layoffs, downsizing,
'reallocation of assets', whatever it is called, if a paycheck stops
you feel like you are fired.

I have also had 'survivors syndrome'.  Wondering why someone else and
not me.  It happens in war, in business, basically everywhere.  It is
real and must be delt with in some way.  It is easier for some than
others to go through this 'grief' period.  Just like a death or being
fired, having those around you 'gone' carries it's own psychological
weight.

Ohhh. ... sorry, this is getting into a lot of my baggage and what I
have carried.  Hopefully this will give someone some insight and help
them.

All this 'advice' is personal and anecdotal, so isn't worth a hill of
beans to pull any 'facts' or 'statistics' from.

... Jack