To anyone who’s ever seen an old black and white prison movie, the term “Lifer” is well known. Usually played by a grizzled and gnarled character actor, this is a jailhouse veteran, someone who hasn’t seen the outside world for years, and never will. Invariably played with some sympathy, this is the ‘go-to’ guy for cigarettes, candy and a host of other goodies deemed contraband by the big and bad authorities. He also serves as a sort of advisor to the new convicts; a camp counselor, if you will, to the rebellious, the delinquent, the losers with nothing going for them except their youth. And because he lives in such a time warp, it’s almost comedic as to how pathetically out of date, how clueless he really is to the modern world.
Basically, lifers can also be defined, in the corporate or business world that we inhabit, as simple careerists; people who have decided, for better or worse, to remain with one organization for their entire work life. It’s interesting that, as a parallel to the prison example, we mostly refer to people as lifers who occupy, at most, either a specialist or mid-level management position. Honchos, for whatever reason, are called-and usually for very good reasons-many things, but lifer just isn’t one of them. So I suppose that it’s fair to say that we attribute a loser quality to those we call lifers. As such, big shots get the customary free pass.
There’s no doubt that every organization, firm or company, irrespective of its size, has their share of lifers. They come in all shapes and sizes, and though they may appear innocuous, most are not as harmless as they may first appear to be. They have, after all, been around for what seems like forever, and have had the opportunity to establish informal networks and loyalties throughout the organization. And because they have more institutional memory than we usually care to give them credit for, they are generally seen, both up and down the chain of command, as assets.
Actually, it’s only fair that the lifers of the world get some credit, both for their service and for their tenure. They are invariably loyal, reliable and obedient. They are the kind of men and women who brave illness, snow storms, subway strikes and the like, yet continue to trudge in to work, day in and day out, decade after decade. While they aren’t the most innovative or creative staff that we might wish for, they are in fact the base upon which all organizations are built. Simply put, we need to accept the fact that there will always be the need for many more doers than creators, more workers than thinkers and planners. And that obviously means that the drones must necessarily outnumber the royals. There is indeed strength in numbers.
These folks need to be treated with care, patience and respect. Yeah, I know that they can be boring, and that their war stories sound corny and trite. But simply by dint of their time in service, they know where at least some of the skeletons are buried, and where some land mines lie. If you play it right, they may even share some of this knowledge with you. Or at the very least they won’t bad mouth you, even via a silent sneer, to the boss.
‘Cause hey, you never know. The young stallion on the way up today may well be the old war horse, the lifer, of tomorrow. And that, though you may not want to admit it, may be you.
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