Silence Can Be Golden, But Not in Mary Kay

Written by TRACY on . Posted in Culture & Manipulation

 Written by sadnpink

Having been trained in the field of communication, I know how crucial it is to keep lines of communication open when working a business. Even in relationships, this is a key ingredient to success. So why would any company allow its leaders to avoid discussing problems openly?

There is an old saying that goes “you are either part of the problem or part of the solution”. Many of the leaders in Mary Kay are more of a problem than a solution because they are unwilling to openly discuss issues that could lead to solutions or at least reality.

For the most part, we are taught to avoid any negative talk. Even a discussion of reality such as low commission checks (for directors) or the difficulty of booking classes (for consultants) is looked at as negative communication. Heaven forbid that we address these concerns! Talking about reality is akin to drinking poison in the minds of the 2% club. So they begin at an early stage to indoctrinate consultants to avoid saying things like: “My classes all cancelled this week.” Or “No one wants to have a class”. On the director level… talk such as “My commission check has been low over the last few months. I cannot keep living like this.” Or “I have had to make co-pays on the car the last six months and I cannot keep it up.” All of this is considered forbidden communication.

I remember several times during my directorship I was told to avoid certain other directors because they had a bad “attitude.” I was supposed to look upline to those who had achieved more if I needed advice, and I was never to tell any unit members if I faced any struggles. In fact, all of Mary Kay seemed to be shrouded in mystery. You only learned about certain things on a need to know basis.

Potential recruits are not told about inventory packages until “after” they sign up. DIQ is surrounded by silence too. It is not until you are in the frenzy to make it month by month that you know the truth of how hard it is to reach your goal of thirty recruits…all active at the same time and a production level of $16,000. It sounds so easy and everyone is so positive that you will have an easy time of it reaching director. If we had known how stressful, intense, and sometimes disappointing this can be, many of us would never have entered or attempted to complete this.

Once you become a director, you think you can relax… but it is more of the same as you are pushed on and on to the next higher goal. There is no rest, but no one bothered to tell you that. So, you keep on rushing ahead for the ever elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The truth is there never is an end to the rainbow. The run is for the rest of your stay in Mary Kay.

Do you wonder why I found this website so comforting? It was because I had few if any other directors I could talk to. No one wanted to admit that we were like a dog chasing our tails in never ending circles only to find we could never rest. Whether you are a consultant or a director, most of us just want someone to be honest with us. However, it is rare to get an honest answer from anyone in the Pink Fog.

Faking it till you make does not work. Pretending we are a success when we are not is called “fantasy”. Most of us want to live in the real world with real solutions to our problems. There is nothing wrong with a positive mental attitude so long as it is grounded upon facts. Communication helps us to find solid answers…this is what most of us were lacking in our MK experience… the TRUTH!

Now at this website… we are finding that the truth is setting us free!

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Comments (1)

  • A Reader

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    I’ve posted before about my experience in an over-controlling church (some would call it a cult), and about the ways your Mary Kay stories remind me of that experience. With this article, Tracy, you’ve once again taken me back to the past.

    In my cult/church, being negative was a sin. It was considered evidence of lack of faith, as well as lack of gratitude. Negative words and attitudes had the potential to discourage other believers, as well as turn unbelievers away from God. Further, the leadership seemed to take negativity as a direct reflection on them. You were allowed to hint that your life had its ups and downs, but only if you qualified that by affirming that you were still “rejoicing in the Lord” in spite of the setbacks.

    It made for a toxic, fear-driven atmosphere. especially when the “negativity” was actually an attempt to solve real problems within the church. Problems were not allowed to exist. Too many problems, and you might find yourself being labelled “The Problem.”

    It used to sound a little odd when people called Mary Kay a cult. Having never been MK myself, maybe I’m not qualified to say that it is. But, by gosh, it sure sounds a lot like it to this former cultist.

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