After a two year hiatus of working for “the man” (i.e., large corporations for a quarter century) I can’t help but look back and scratch my head. When you think of the amount of human capital that a large company has it amazing to me how poorly they nurture, coach and promote their crown jewels.

4 BIG problems corporate America doesn’t get…

 1. Lack of corporate curiosity

New ideas of finding, helping or producing new products for many of the largest companies are shunned like radioactive isotopes. I was in the financial service industry for 25 years and frankly the industry hasn’t had a new way finding new clients since the cold call. So I quit and did this. http://www.estatesettlement.com/websites.php and this http://floridawebsitemarketing.com and 10 more websites.

  2. No incubator for idea nurturing.

In corporations today, if you give the boss a new idea he will likely punish you for it. The motto of corporate management is that “brilliance only run down hill”. If there was a better way to do things your boss would have already told you about it. No wonder that so many great ideas and products are first exiled than hatched in garages. It the only safe place around where you can tinker your way to greatness without being hassled. The first version of everything usually sucks, bosses usually can’t accept that.

 3. Coaching a product into prosperity.

Turning ideas into products that people love isn’t just about being warm and cuddly to everyone. It is quite the opposite. It’s about having a passion for the game of winning, like a sports coach. When everyone loves playing game you can challenge your best players to dig deeper and get in their grill.

 The greatest thing about sports is that most top athletes have such an irresistible thirst to win they accept the torture of nearly constant failure. Most companies and vast majority of their employees don’t have the balls to expose themselves in public (pun intended).

 Most employees are simple spectators in their careers. If they ever do get up to the plate, they are usually just praying for a walk. The unspoken corporate culture is … just bleed the pig to death (or until retirement). For managers if the pig stops breathing; just sell the parts at the slaughter house and let the next company repackage the meat.

 4. No real incentives for stardom.

In most companies in America, if you came up with a killer app. you wouldn’t get much more from your employer than a membership in the Jelly of the Month Club. That’s why most geniuses when they discover their best ideas usually have to quit and move their stuff to their garage. 

 What do you think?