If you want loyalty, get a dog!
Recently, within the span of a single week, I met two managers from different companies who—independently of each other—bring a measuring tape to work to count down the remaining days until retirement. How sad, I thought!
I knew this from my time in the military. Back then, many saw compulsory service as an unpleasant duty and—just like me—could hardly wait to be “free” again. It makes me think that so many people seem to view the end of their working lives in a similar way—as a burdensome obligation they can’t wait to escape from.
What are the reasons for this sense of resignation? Here is my attempt to explain:
- Loyalty is a myth: Many people have spent 20, sometimes even 30 years of their lives in the same company. They turned down offers from other organizations and felt a strong connection to their employer—often in the hope that this loyalty would be recognized and rewarded. But suddenly, they find themselves fearing for their jobs. There are no more guarantees. Reorganizations and mass layoffs have become the new reality. Many feel left alone.
A former CEO of a large automotive company once said to me, when I asked whether loyalty was an important value to him: “If you want loyalty, get a dog!” - Lack of impact: After the initial years of development and learning, many people realize they are stagnating. Every three years, they start a new project—motivated and full of ambition about how much they will improve the company—only to discover, after many exhausting months, that the project has once again been derailed by internal politics, bureaucracy, or the next reorganization. Once again, they’ve “started like a tiger and ended up as a rug.” No matter what they do, nothing really changes anyway.
- Toxic corporate cultures: During recruitment, you’re told about a positive culture and strong sense of togetherness. But soon you realize that it’s all about results. KPIs, MBOs, and OKRs are demanded quarterly—but no one asks how those numbers were achieved. This fuels egos and weakens the sense of “we.” People feel that a human-centered culture is preached—but a hard, results-driven one is practiced. As a result, many withdraw, resort to “lowballing,” and avoid interaction with dominant egos.
I would wish for a working world in which employees don’t start counting down the days to retirement years in advance—but instead look forward to work every day and, in the end, are even a little sad that it’s already over.
This post was published by Wolfgang Jenewein on LinkedIn on September 8, 2025.
