The CEO Slap-O-Matic

Here is an idea for a required piece of furniture in every CEO's office. The CEO slap-o-matic - a machine that slaps the CEO in the face, every single time he makes a decision to restrict how people can use his products.

He will get slapped every time he:

• Restrict a product to a single device.
• Restrict digital purchases or downloads to a single country.
• Restrict sharing or lending the product to your friends.
• Impose restrictions that force you use a specific channel or app store.
• Impose different availability to different groups of people.
• Define rules for how people can use the product.
• Require people to pay twice for the same product.
• ...and the list goes on!

Just imagine, every time a CEO assume that he can decide what you, the customer, can or cannot do, he gets slapped.

Two great advantages to the CEO Slap-o-matic

First, a recent MythBusters episode investigated, if it is possible to bring an impaired person back to some degree of proper mental functioning, by slapping him in the face. And it turns out that you can. The myth was confirmed. Slapping someone in the face, helps focus their attention and their way of thinking.

Note: Photo credit via MythBusters

As such, the CEO Slap-O-Matic is actually based on scientific study (of sorts). A Stunning factoid!

Secondly, only getting slapped once or twice is acceptable. We all make mistakes, and it is impossible to please everyone. An occasionally slapping is just a friendly reminder to be more flexible.

But if you receive a severe beating every time you enter your office, you know that something is desperately wrong with your business. You might endure it for a short while. You might stubbornly refuse to give in. But, everyone knows that it isn't a long-term plan.

What do you think? Should a CEO Slap-O-Matic be a required business tool?

(upcoming article: The rights of People)

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