The lighter side of Corporate America

[clapping_tiger]

Some of you have probably seen this, but today was the first time I have read it. It fits with what is happening to America these days. By the time any of you read this. The company I work for will have laid off another 35 employees. That makes a little over 85 total for our division alone. One division in Mississippi was completely shut down and another here in Wisconsin is down to 25% of the employees that were there last year. Now there was talk of the plant relocating, possibly to Vietnam. A number of top executives have jumped ship and that can't be a good sign. We are a contract manufacturer of office furniture and fixtures. I am lucky, I have worked for the company for many years and they layoff by seniority, by the time they reach me the plant will shut down. Anyway to the story....................[\i]

A Japanese company and an American company decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both the teams practiced hard and long to reach their peak performance before the race.
On the big day the Japanese won by a mile.
Afterwards the American team became very discouraged and morally depressed. The American management decided that the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found.
A “Management Team” made up of senior management was formed. They would investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was that the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 persons steering and one person rowing.
So the American management hired a consulting company and paid them incredible amounts of money. They advised that too many people were steering the boat and not enough people were rowing.
To prevent losing to the Japanese again the next year, the rowing team’s management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager. They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the “Rowing Team Quality First Program”, with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rower. “We must give the rower the empowerment and enrichments through this quality program.”

The next year the Japanese won by 2 miles.
Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. Then they distributed the money saved as bonuses to the senior executives.

This is so true, all the people being laid off are the people on the floor. There is still the same number of Managers, Coordinators, Plant Support Tech, Engineers, and such. Some areas have a Manager, 2 Coordinators, and 1 plant support tech, and only 9 people in the department manufacturing the product. That is crazy!!! That is almost 1 Supervisor for every 2 employees in that department. Come on.

:soapbox: :shrug:

 

[don bohrer]

CT,

That is the same problem we have with the school systems. Earlier this year El Paso schools districts lost Federal dollars. So each district layed off teachers to make up for the lost revenue. Administration cost more and they're not in short supply.

Anyway CT, sorry to hear about your tough time. Will you be able to find work soon?

 

[Limey Scrapman]

I hope things pick up for you. At the moment I'm out of work myself picking up the odd day here and there supply teaching.

:soapbox:

My observation about the States is that once you're dissadvantaged such as loosing a job or being born into a "poor" family it's hard to move out of it.

When stuff like this takes place lots of people get hurt not just yourself. Everyone who depends upon you is hurt too.

Health care, social pogrammes it seems to me that folks in the MA world stick together and help one another but the govenment would rather let you claw your way back or put wall around the expensive housing estates to prevent you stealing stuf from the rich folks to feed your family.

This is just my oppinion,


Keep positive, and you will spot the opportunities!

 

[Seig]

Unfortunately the mentality of Corporate America has gone bonkers. The decisions made tend to be absolutely ludicrous. When I got laid off from World Com, I faced a very difficult two years. The thing to remember is that when one door closes, another opens, if you remember to open your eyes, you will see it.

 

[pknox]

Originally posted by Seig
Unfortunately the mentality of Corporate America has gone bonkers. The decisions made tend to be absolutely ludicrous. When I got laid off from World Com, I faced a very difficult two years. The thing to remember is that when one door closes, another opens, if you remember to open your eyes, you will see it.

Seig:

Very true. Realize also that all things happen for a reason - when I was laid off from the tech industry, I thought I was truly screwed, but it really was a wakeup call, and it spurred me to go into teaching, which I absolutely love. Sometimes what seems bad now can turn out to be good in the long run.

 

[clapping_tiger]

Fourtunatelly, I did not get laid off. But I had some good friends that have been. I have been there long enough that by the time they got to laying me off, the doors would close. There would be hardly anyone left to work there. But my point was that things are getting pretty scary. I would have thought that this would have been over by now and the economy would have picked up. There are jobs out there in my area but they are hard to come by. A large corporation in my town packed up and moved to Mexico, another was taken over and then they cleaned house, the company I work for was laying off. The job market is flooded with people looking for jobs. So anyone who is hiring can pick an choose from some good quality people. The competition is crazy. I am lucky that I still have a job.