Something to think about

That might have been true in Voltaire's time and perhaps in some countries today, but I don't think it hold true in most countries or for most people today. I think a more accurate quote today would be, who you don't want to criticize.

Voltaire certainly had a flair for the dramatic, yet to a large extent he is right. If you examine all the people in your life you will see those that are in real control because you will firmly be told not to say anything about these people. In the workplace this may be the CEO or the President of the company. Yet it turns out they can make as many dumb decisions as the rest of us, so why should they not be the subject of critique. If you think about the political arena, in the democratic world, our politicians are open to analysis in everything they do from their personal lives, which will be torn asunder should they have an affair by the local tabloid press, to their voting habits that is most assemblies are visible to anyone who seeks to enquire about. Politicians, by virtue of the lives they choose to live, are an open target for criticism. It matters not that they have by weight of argument changed their minds over the years a twenty year old viewpoint will be used against them when appropriate. It is right that we test out political representatives because of the job we expect them to perform on our behalf; why not the same for business leaders? Decision made by business leaders, at whatever level, do impact many people within that organisation, yet their staff are rarely, if ever, allowed to criticise such decisions - is this proper? In some respects it could be argued that businesses are not democracies and that executives, managers and supervisors have to make decisions with business expediency in mind. Yet this flip side is that businesses do have a social responsibility, we can see this in the fact that the majority of organisations are bowing to public pressure in creating "Green" policies and procedures. They know that many of the clients will walk if they do not pay attention to the prevailing demands of society. Should you criticise you boss? There are certainly times when speaking out would be unwise, they may mark you as a potential trouble maker. But there are also ways to make your feelings known without them sounding like an outright attack on the company and its values. Sometimes you have to find ways to criticise without criticising; you are suggesting improvements and not objecting to the things done. The boss should gain the idea that you have their best interests at heart and that you are not being driven by a self interest (even if you are).

I can think of only one and that is God Almighty!