Bird S**t with an Intent!

Nothing embellishes a home like hovering birds over a roof. But the crap they leave behind is, well…crap! Splatted feces is just horrible to clean and so annoyingly persistent. To have that last magnanimous smile, I called a highly experienced company that had the final solution: Adding adhesives that percolate an odor that will irritate those birds to a point of no return! After a bit of one-sided negotiation, they promised to be at my doorstep tomorrow 7am sharp! Cool!

6:58am, a task force knocks my door. All in high gear to deliver that promised quality job by end of business. Foreman blared instructions; workers got into their safety harnesses (albeit uncomfortable to wear). Work was well on the way by 7:22am! Military dexterity to say the least! I tell you, these pesky birds had another thing coming!

7:39am, all well and orders dissipated, the foreman decided he was more needed at another site. Five minutes after waving the foreman off, I look up to see this!

A broken neck waiting to happen! workers on the edge of the roof NOT wearing safety harnesses! I was afraid to startle one of them, so I took a picture, ran up, and told them they either wear their full gear or they don’t work at all!

12:05pm, the camaraderie of workers give me the dirty look as they walk out for their lunch break

5:12pm, foreman shows up again. With above picture in hand, I explained that his workers need better safety training.

5:14pm, foreman admonishes everyone around him, explaining an accident would slap a huge fine on the company! I was just speechless at that point! Speechless from a team fearing a foreman’s wrath more than a decapitating accident. Speechless from a supposed leader more worried from a fine than the wellness of his team. Speechless from the paradox of a highly efficient team, yet remarkably unprofessional. Mostly, speechless of everyone not encompassing the actual intent behind those safety standards!

A ‘just get it done’ hierarchy operating under a multi-layered KPI system with no sense of purpose whatsoever. A pervasive lack of accountability incubated within a ‘just follow instructions’ mentality. An amazing service delivery machine! Yet a corporate governance whipped into shape by fines rather than values.

At 6:42pm, that once energized squadron feebly faded away into the sunset. I, gawking back at those birds circling the house NEXT door...

I thought to myself:

Here is to companies that actually give a bird shit about employee wellbeing rather than fines!