What Makes a Child Out of a Man?

Allegedly, 1930s American auto workers passed this poem around in secret…

Employees in 2025 still nod in silent recognition when they hear it.

“WHAT MAKES A CHILD OUT OF A MAN?”
 Are these men and women

Workers of the world?

or is it an overgrown nursery
with children – goosing, slapping boys,
giggling, snotty girls?

What is it about that entrance way,
those gates to the plant? Is it the
guards, the showing of your badge – the smell?
Is there some invisible eye
that pierces you through and
transforms your being? Some aura
or ether, that brain and spirit washes you
and commands, “For eight hours
you shall be different”
 

What is it that instantaneously makes
a child out of a man?

Moments before he was a father, a husband,
an owner of property,
a voter, a lover, an adult.
When he spoke at least some listened.
Salesmen courted his favor.
Insurance men appealed to his family responsibility
and by chance the church sought his help . . .

But that was before he shuffled past the guard,
climbed the steps,
hung up his coat and
took his place along the line.

ANON
(From an American auto workers underground paper)

Leaders in 2025 swear we fixed it.
Better pay ✓
Hybrid working ✓
Mental-health days ✓
“Unlimited” PTO ✓ etc.

Yet many cultures just put a friendlier mask on the same old patterns:
• Two-tier pay systems that whisper “know your place” every payday
• Silos, fear, moving goalposts
• Carrot-and-stick motivation
• Adult life skills (the gold people bring for free) left unused and untrusted

Result?
Capable adults slowly eroded into dependent children……

exactly when AI demands the opposite: creativity, ownership & agility.
 

I’ve experienced the opposite transform ‘impossibles’ into realities:

Lubrizol UK:
• 70 employees saved their plant from closure
• £40k extra profit in month one
• productivity TRIPLED in 60 days
• UK National Training Award

Pfizer Ireland:
• 13 years of record-breaking results
• self-managed teams
• zero supervisors
• production started 4½ months early despite construction delays

So here’s the question every leader needs to ask right now:
Is our culture maturing our people…or quietly im-maturing them?
 

The fastest, most honest way to find out?
Truly listening to employees as mature adults through our Confidential Diagnostic Listening Sessions  (face-to-face small groups, online, unedited feedback to all).

Two completely free resources – just click and they are delivered straight into your inbox, no downloads or sign-ups: 

* Read the full ebook “Future Shock or Future Choice?” (800+ clicks & rising)
https://lnkd.in/g6RMqjHP

* Listen to this excellent 15-minute podcast summary by Mohammed Bayja (Associate Professor of AI – University of Birmingham)
https://lnkd.in/gnx4ygMM

If you have any questions or feedback please use the Contact Form below.

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