My Cousin Vinny

Yes, I am from the Home Entertainment business.
But no, this post is not about the popular movie starring Danni De Vito!
It's neither about the striking behavioural similarities between the mafia & corporate big-shots. Wink wink!
How're they similar, you'd ask.

Well, IF you have worked or are working for an enterprise (any size), frankly answer the follwoing questions first:

1. Have you ever found some or many senior managers "related" to each other?

2. How many "management-trainees" have been siblings / sons-daughters / nephews / cousins of other employees?

3. Did you find many fresh appointments done via internal-referrals (ex-colleagues / friends / acquaintances etc.)?

4. Have you noticed any bias on "regionality" of appointees (for example mostly from South India or North India or Assam for example)?

IF even ONE answer to the above questions generate YES as your response, start thinking.

Hang on, hang on hang on!
One last qualifying question....Did you get the job by being one of the above?
IF so, check-out now....it's not for you buddy!

Otherwise, just think on the following lines:

How does it help to recruit people we know / are related to?

Can we ever be as "professional" with someone "close" to us, as with an outsider?

Is it easier to have "comfortable" people around us, more as we climb up the ladder? Why?

Do the same people keep hitching on with us, in sync?

Have any such people ever "blown the whistle" on our "greedy" manipulations or manouevres? Why not?

Do we keep favouring such people over performing outsiders?

Do we, at the same time, ease-out outsiders who may outperform & outshine our own insiders?

Are we endangering the organisational goals by tilting the cart in "our" favour?

Is professionalism getting marginalised simply because "we" have a responsibility to "look after our insiders"?

Have I by now, answered your first question, on the 4th sentence?


Does this economic mess make much more "sense" now?

Spot the Cousin Vinnies.
The world will be a safer place - without the mafias.
Hope you realise that :)