Do You Make Less Money Than Your Taller Peers?

A recent study at the University of Florida found that over the span of their careers short people earn less money than their taller counterparts. In terms of cold hard cash, each extra inch in height equals roughly $800 difference in annual pay. So, essentially a person standing at 5 ft 8 inches tall will make about $9600 less annually than someone standing at 6 ft 8 inches tall.

It's surprise that in this post-modern era our incomes are influenced so strongly by our physical statures. The figure of $9600 per year, in the example above, should be a stark enough example of this - but the practice seems even more unsettling when multiplied over a career spanning 30 years. Just by being a foot shorter than your peers, you are likely to earn $288,000 less over 30 years than they do.

You would think that in an 'enlightened era,' such as the one in which we live, that payscale would be based on individual and team results rather than physical height characteristics. Unfortunately the study shows otherwise.

So, what are we to do?

Should we form an affirmative action group to pursue the correction of these practices?

It's too tough to legislate changes into people minds. Plus, there's a ton of other baggage that goes along with it. You'd have to define what 'short' is. You'd have to create a government entity to monitor and enforce penalties against discriminators. Too expensive. Too negative. Too divisive.

My solution focuses on blatantly impressing upon people that shorter people are worth paying more.

Let me illustrate with an example out of the world of real estate.

A nice house sat vacant for many months with no potential buyers showing interest. The homeowner kept dropping the price from time to time over the course of the year and still no potential buyers showed interest. Eventually, the seller took a shockingly different approach and RAISED the asking price several thousand dollars above what the original asking price had been.

The house sold in a matter of days.

Perceived value can play a huge role in economics. And apparently, according to this study, there's a perceived value that the shorter a person is, the less they can be paid.

How do we change that perception?

Let's get thousands of people who consider themselves short in stature and under salaried, and let's raise their pricetag ? just like the homeowner raised their asking price.

Teach these individuals how to create wealth rather than have jobs. Show them how to make hundreds of thousands of dollar per month. Then showcase them as power-brokers. An elite group of people with a common characteristic of shorter stature and greater wealth can leave an indelible mark on the psyches of the world's population that shorter people are worth paying more money than taller individuals.

We may believe the words in the Declaration of Independence of the United States that all people are created equal, but we end up seeing that people are treated unequal. Instead of waiting for someone else to change societies impressions of us, that responsibility falls into our own hands.

We may be created equal ? but within our power ? within our individual realms of influence - we have incredible opportunities to become unequal. We have the power to choose whether we're treated unequal in ways we dislike, or treated unequal in ways we like.

So now that we're working toward being treated unequally in ways we like, we'd better start making plans for using those hundreds of thousands of dollars. Right?

How about bankrolling the next grant for another round of research that will show the next wave of trends in pay as related to height - that shorter people started earning more than their taller counterparts beginning in 2003?

About The Author

C.S. Deam is a small business owner. His eBook Leverage Yourself Out of the Rat Race is available for immediate download at www.LinkertonPublishing.com where you can sign up for FREE E-Courses & Newsletters to help you on your path to self-employment.

---

Email Etiquette 1

I thought it might be worth visiting some email etiquette... Read More

Why Pacing and Leading is for Wimps!

Okay, you have read some books on body language and... Read More

Still Wondering About Coaching?

A friend called me the other day from Lower Alabama.... Read More

More Money & Less Stress?

At 2pm last Wednesday, I got a call from one... Read More

Good Communication is Easy - Isn?t It?

My name is Steve Brummet and my business is to... Read More

The Power of Visualization

Professional athletes and other highly successful people use the power... Read More

A Numbers Game!

Three years ago, Paul left his corporate job to launch... Read More

Courage and the Agony of Coaching Employees

Coaching employees on sensitive and personal topics like performance or... Read More

Embracing Excellence

Joey rises before dawn to pack his lunch, eager for... Read More

Living In The Now

I hope you are sitting down as you read this!... Read More

The Fastest Way to Ruin Yourself

I don't know many people who would admit to wanting... Read More

Context is King!

If you've been around the Internet for more than two... Read More

4 Brilliant Tips to Speed Read Faster than Ever

Many people, particularly students, would love to be able to... Read More

Could You and Your Business Benefit from a Business Coach or a Consultant?

The surprising answer is "probably". Most individuals don't realize that... Read More

Tripping On Mindfulness

One of the ironies of mindfulness is that it's still... Read More

The Biggest Loser

I am a "Loser". You're gonna learn from this writing... Read More

Guilt: Is it Getting in the Way of Your Self-Care?

When Do We Usually Feel Guilty? When:We're not feeling ok... Read More

Executive Coaching

The higher you climb the ladder in this organization, the... Read More

How to Solve Disputes with the Helicopter Talk Technique

Do you ever find that when a friend asks for... Read More

Poise, Posture, and Performance

Good posture is seen to have many advantages. From an... Read More

What Is Executive Presence?

Often our clients refer someone to us for Executive Coaching... Read More

Coaching Skills

IntroductionThe question for leaders in organizations today is how do... Read More

Coaching Can Help Teachers At A Crossroads In Their Careers

Teachers enter the profession with the desire to help others,... Read More

Growing On G.R.O.W ? A More Specific Coaching Model For Busy Managers

The effective coaching of employees by their line managers is... Read More

A Murder Mystery Puzzle for You to Solve

Anybody who has visited my website at Motivation & Self... Read More

Belief Management - The Missing Ingredient?

"Joan, I'm working so hard and I'm not getting anything... Read More

Unhook From The Perpetual Progress Grid

I have been a member of a group called the... Read More

Business Career Executive Coaching Article -Motivator, Discipline and Desire

"There is a certain combination of desire and discipline in... Read More

Your Responsibility

The other day I decided to skip cooking dinner and... Read More

Can Versus Cant

It is my personal opinion that there are two words... Read More

Its Story Time! - Find the Power Within, or The Truth About Dogs

I heard a story recently, and wanted to share it... Read More

Relaxation Couldnt Be Simpler

Many people use their sofa and TV to help them... Read More

Trust In The Moment, and Trust In Yourself

Do you often get yourself upset and feeling less than... Read More