Senseless Killing, Contingent Staffing, and What I Can Do

Before anyone gets too uncomfortable with my topic, please understand that I don’t claim to have any ironclad solutions. I’m quite certain nobody does. But I do have some thoughts and I believe they have some relevance to those who are part of the staffing, workforce solutions, and gig economies. I’m sure there will be those who disagree with me on this polarizing topic, and I accept that as long as my readers accept that I am coming from a place of love and the desire to see this world a better place for all people.

No matter the method – guns, knives, bombs, cars, chemicals, airplanes (I refuse to fill in all the blanks in order to let you ponder what other instruments and methods can be deployed in taking innocent lives, both one at a time and in mass) – we awaken almost every day to hear of another horrific incident, domestically or internationally, where lives are taken in a violent, selfish, cowardly, and cruel manner. Sometimes it’s not even about hate but about self-absorbed convenience or a worldview that makes certain types of humans less important and therefore expendable (or even worse, society is better off without them).

OK, you are aware of this and I’m not stating anything novel or earth shattering at this point. So, what do all of these things have in common? To me, it’s the loss, by individuals, groups, societies, etc., of the intrinsic value of human life. That a life has wonderful worth no matter its state, condition, color, creed, or status within a social construct. That we all bear the image of our Creator and therefore are endowed with certain inalienable rights, not the least of which is life itself (along with liberty and the pursuit of happiness).

In other words, we have often dehumanized humans, or at least groups within our society.

My wife and I watch a Netflix Original called Blacklist. The running joke is my ongoing scorecard of how many people (usually the “bad guys”) are massacred each show. Invariably there is at least 1 death (killing) or person tortured in the first 2 minutes of each episode, and usually murder happens in multiples. Or the video games where your score is based on how much damage or violence you can inflict. Again, I’m not entirely blaming all senseless killing on these kinds of things – certainly mental illness, hate, twisted world and religious views, and many other issues are real factors. But it never ceases to amaze me how we have become desensitized to death and the value of each human being, at least on some level.

So, what does this have to do with staffing and contingent labor? Well, that is much more subtle and can’t be directly connected to the slaughter of innocents. But, there is some correlation with my hypothesis: Do we always see the intrinsic value of each and every person, even those at the lowest ends of the workforce hierarchy? Have we, in a sense, dehumanized them as numbers, hours, or headcount? Have we not often determined they are easily expendable, as if they can be thrown away and are somehow “less important” than others in the organizational structure? Of course, if we are being totally honest, we have.

So, what can I do? Treat every person, every life, with the dignity it inherently deserves. Realize their God-given value and that they are just as important as I am. Encourage the downtrodden, lift up the marginalized, protect the innocents and, organizationally, genuinely recognize real efforts, contributions and needs no matter where they are in the company org chart. I can be nice to the fast food worker and janitor, and sympathize with the plight of the homeless and physically challenged. And I can find ways, other than inflammatory, politicized, and weaponized social media rants or memes (which require no real individual investment), to personally and sacrificially come to their aid. I can, in short, live a life that personifies the Golden Rule, which is a clarion call to philanthropy, fairness, love, respect, and recognizing and honoring human worth.

Maybe if we all did these kind of simple, human things the news would be more positive than it has been recently, that our world would be a better place for everyone…and I mean everyone. But it all starts with me – and you. We can’t expect others to honor our fellow man (and woman, to be politically correct) if we go about our daily business indifferent to every human’s intrinsic worth and remain uninvolved in actively showing just how important that is. As a citizen of this planet and a leader in what we often call the ultimate people business, I have a duty to myself, my industry and, indeed, the entire human race - a duty that that should not come by compulsion but by the intuition and ideal that all people are undoubtedly created equal.