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Are you an Aristocrat or a Peasant?
In your work place, your company or organisation do you recognise yourself as being one of the aristocracy or one of the peasants? If you are one of the aristocrats then you probably don’t but if you are a peasant then you will know it.
It isn’t a matter of rank or seniority, though it is connected, it is whether you are in the circle, the gang, one of the guys, ‘U’ rather than ‘non-U’. It is a social group as well as authoritative. Members of the aristocracy make decisions but more importantly they know they are being made and the implications of those decisions even if they didn’t have a hand in making them. Members very often are senior managers but not all senior managers belong and those that do have their own court of sometimes quite junior staff who are part of the aristocracy.
Very often the demarcation between aristocrats and peasants is the kind of work that they do. Service and support divisions and departments are very often all peasants. The heads of those departments may be aristocrats but if they are they were very likely parachuted into their position. A peasant who has risen through the ranks and gained the same kind of title, responsibility and remuneration as one in the aristocracy in such an organisation remains a peasant.
they include those with bright new furnishings, employee…
