Commutes by Title

Let's explore one more fallacy of moving up in our careers. It is the idea that better titles give more control over time. As a facility manager there are some late nights, but you sleep in your own bed with the same commute every day. You travel very rarely. As a distict manager, you get a car. That is because you could have upwards of 1/2 a days commute and may sometimes have to forego sleeping at home. The regional manager gets a car, blackberry, and laptop. Standard commute is over two hours with a mandatory stay over "option" to allow thorough butt kickings based on the condition of your faciliities. Please note, some commutes increase due to non-existent relo packages in a bad economy or the wretched stubborness of the manager regarding relocation. Then there are the directors. The commutes extend as far as mainland China. One of my best friends has a Midwest to Poland, then Wales commute for the next two weeks. Wow, I bet Poland is pretty this time of the year! That is quintessential description of career progression. No cushy, home by 5:15pm days. It is no wonder that these folks occasionally work from home. Do all of those field managers a favor and quit whining about their home office days. It is probably the first time they sat on their own couch in a month.
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