In the 1960s and 1970s, America was reaching the end of its role as a manufacturing power. Old-style systems of compensation, especially company pension plans, were impoverishing many companies. Much to the disadvantage of less-industrious workers, companies started demanding merit, not just seniority, before someone could be promoted. Many managers who were only marginally effective were encouraged to resign. These changes were painful but unavoidable, symptoms of a growth spurt in the U.S. economy Economies grow and change just as people do. A truly enterprising businessperson knows how to exploit these large changes and become involved in tomorrow's dynamic business, not yesterday's. There's still plenty of money to be made in America, a very effective incentive for workers to adapt to new conditions.