It's all a philosophical discussion but I will go into specifics of certain behaviors of software pros (aka. software coolies). What I call a 'Reimbursement syndrome' it's a disease. I see this all the time during my work hours and off it.
Interviewee : "Well....er I like the package but can you tell me what company benefits I will get....I mean, will my telephone and other bills get reimbursed?". So the clever HR manager repackages everything and gives him huge benefits only that the interviewee does not know that it is shuffling of the same package!
Employee: "I know I'm eligible for a particular amount for telephone call charges and another amount for broadband charges. Can I claim the sum of the amounts for either of them?"
I have seen numerous occasions where my team member built his case for months that he is not paid enough and he is in poverty but when he got a good raise he immediately purchased an expensive car! I asked him why - he said, well I buy it under a certain scheme and it has 0% interest!!
Or numerous friends who stand in long lines to convert those free coupons in stores.
Or numerous relatives who lose the fun of talking over phone with near and dear ones because they are forever dealing with cheap calling card dialing, calls dropping and losing the conversation thread completely.
Or numerous managers who lose business because they did not call the business contact directly (who pays then) and instead chose to call via the office EPABX and bridged it with a conferencing company (calls through VoIP) and in the mean time lose a good 20 minutes by when the business prospect is totally put off!
Do you get my point? Most of us are Software coolies or wage labourers and until we get out of this we will never prosper. Have you ever seen a successful entrepreneur filling reimbursement claim forms for small expenses? Don't miss the point - 'small expenses'.
Invest in yourself. Use the time, energy and mind share spent in calculating small expenses, in small claims for larger things that will propel you to higher orbits. This could range from doing your job exceedingly well, learning new skills, developing more enriching relationships and all that goes with your career and personal life development. In fact the more you invest on the 'right things' the more you prosper. stop worrying about the raise your colleague got and instead plan and do your job exceedingly well. And the next time you will notice that you have not only got a great promotion that includes the pay for the next level, but you have also got much more than what you would have saved with small claims and no promotion. Getting my point?
Behave and think like a King and you will be one soon. Behave like a coolie and you are a coolie forever.
