I think there are three legitimate objects of loyalty in the proper order:
1. Loyalty to your work. Do a good job, take pride in it, try to always do better.
2. Loyalty to the customer. This goes without saying, but don't let this make you do less of a good job.
3. Loyalty to the company. I disagree with the author in saying this is sick. However, it becomes sick when it is placed above a need to do a good job and take care of the customer's needs.
Loyalty to the company is what glues together the other two into something productive, but it cannot stand on its own without degrading into petty politics.
However also for this to work, the company has to be loyal to the employees and this is harder and harder to find these days.
Agreed on craft vs work in this context. I think however, it is more generally applicable to things done not for pay too.
I sometimes call this "ownership of work" which has two components. The first is the ability to do your job your way (but collaboratively as needed), without micromanagement, and the second is to take pride in doing it the best way you can.
This is applicable in the work force in the sense that micromanagement is evil and that good tradesmen are good workers but it is also applicable to things like washing dishes: Do a good job but dont let anyone else tell you how to do a good job!
1. Loyalty to your work. Do a good job, take pride in it, try to always do better.
2. Loyalty to the customer. This goes without saying, but don't let this make you do less of a good job.
3. Loyalty to the company. I disagree with the author in saying this is sick. However, it becomes sick when it is placed above a need to do a good job and take care of the customer's needs.
Loyalty to the company is what glues together the other two into something productive, but it cannot stand on its own without degrading into petty politics.
However also for this to work, the company has to be loyal to the employees and this is harder and harder to find these days.