GOOD Magazine finally gave a longer update/explanation as to why they laid off most of their editorial staffers.
good.isWe’ve had to make some big and difficult decisions, perhaps the biggest and most difficult of which involved letting several members of our editorial team go last Friday. These were great people who contributed a lot to GOOD. We wish them the best and expect that they will do great things.
GOOD has always been a work in progress, and even as creating and spreading awesome content by amazing people will continue to be a critical part of what we do, this was a step we felt was important to take as we pursue a refined strategy to inform, connect, and empower the community of people who give a damn.
“Refined strategy” sounds like corporate-speak for cutting back. A number of really awesome employees got laid off in a really lame way last week, getting pushed out a day after a party in honor of the magazine’s latest issue.
Relative Pitch: Giving a Damn
I watched a snippet of Celebrating Steve today. Apple’s tribute to their irreplaceable leader. I was most interested in hearing Jonathan Ive speak. He and Jobs had a special bond. You could just tell. I wanted to hear what Ive had to say about Steve because he knew him better than anyone else. What made Jobs so special?
The secret: Giving a damn.
Ive remembered Jobs saying that all the time. Giving a damn. Jobs cared about Apple more than anybody. He obsessed over it daily. He wanted every single aspect of Apple to be great for every single user. That’s why their products feel different because their products have feelings imbued into them.
Take a look at your company. Do you have someone like that? Even better are you like that? You don’t have to be the greatest CEO of all time. It can start on a much smaller level than that. If you’re responsible for one tiny aspect of your company, give a damn about it. Obsess over it. Care about it. Do it better than anyone else can. If you don’t, you’re in trouble and so is your company. I’m not saying you or your company is not going to be successful. You might. But you’ll never be great. To be great you have to give a damn about every single aspect of your company. Because if you don’t no one else surely will.
Why I give a damn so much ?
People sometimes ask me : ’ Dk why do you care so much ? Why do you try and go out of your way to make sure people are alright …you’re just causing trouble for yourself ..’
To be honest , I don’t know either. To be honest , some days I wish I could stop giving a fucking damn and just let everyone be. To be honest I wish I could turn off my ability to sympathize and care ; and just walk the fuck away. But here’s the punchline - I can’t !
Here’s the truth - I care cause it’s in me to do so. I wish for those close to me to be happy and when they are not , I go out of my way to cheer them up or to be that guy they can talk to.
But what about those people who misuse that empathy I hold or what about the people who think the only reason I care is because I wish to know everyone’s problems ?…to them I say : fuck you.
But no matter what , even to those who misuse my empathy or question it , I still am there for them. It’s who I am. I can’t ever change that & I don’t think I would ever want to.
