Stijn!!

[GH85Carrera]

I quit smoking after two cigarettes. I decided it tasted horrible, smelled bad and was just stupid. One of better decisions in life and I made it when the pack of cigarettes I bought was 25 cents from a vending machine. I spent enough money chasing women and drinking beer, and I even have wasted some (small part of it) of that money.

Good Thursday morning. I picked up my wife from the airport last night. They landed at 10:50 PM. Ir was ALMOST midnight before I got into bed. I nearly turned into a pumpkin being up so late.

I am glad she is home but the dogs are just ecstatic. They have a lap to sleep in all day.

[RKDinOKC]

Did you notice as many fast food places and as much pre-prepared food in the grocery stores in Spain?

[Porsche-poor]

morning all. third day in and no surprises so far.

[RKDinOKC]

We are having company meetings today with two fold message.
One was a counseling session to handle the emotions of people you knew well losing their job.\
The other was a warning that if more isn't done, with the most current sales trends so far for March it is looking like layoffs may happen again.

[GH85Carrera]

So i guess they will not be starting to build on the new site any time soon.

[Porsche-poor]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

So i guess they will not be starting to build on the new site any time soon.

one probably should not bring that up at this time.

[RKDinOKC]

In their plans that included the new facility they were predicting the oil industry would change and sales would decrease because of all the alternate energy pushes. They had just hoped the current growth would maintain or continue for just two more years so they could make it into the new facility.

Personally I saw this coming a long time ago and see it as the reason for the profitabilty problems we are having today. There have been a LOT of incidents in the IT department alone where I've seen them hire outside consultants to do a job the IT manger in that area should have been able to and/or should have done himself. And if he couldn't do it learn how to and do it. Instead they just continued to call on and rely on consultants. I understand it was a lot easier for the Network Manager to just call a consultant when something broke instead of fixing it himself. Just that seems like a costly waste to me. Very much like the Exchange Host moving we are doing right now. There is no reason I couldn't have done it and saved the company $30K.

A bit miffed...they called the guy that left that was the primary on our firewall and paid him as a consultant once again to make the changes necessary so our anti-spam device can both send an receive emails once again. Instead they should have called him and had him properly configure my VPN rights so I could manage the firewall remotely like he did. Guessing they are going back to the situation where they are paying him more as a consultant than as an employee to do the actual work of managing our network. Yeah, that'll help with the profits right now.

[GH85Carrera]

At my previous job I fixed all sorts of machines. I did a lot of plumbing and electrical work and fixed the processors. The owner just figured my regular salary was enough and at best would buy my to lunch.

I decided to just see what happens when I got busy in the computer graphic department and did not have time to play free plumber or electrician. I watched the owner whip out the checkbook and happily pay an electrician $500 for a an hour and a half of work to fix the heater in the film processor. I had done that on the other film processor and got not even a thank you.

It was OK to hire a outside "expert" and pay a lot because they are experts. When I fixed it it was just something I should do because I was already there. It did not sit well with me.

[Porsche-poor]

proving no good deed goes unpunished.

[GH85Carrera]

I mentioned to the boss once after he paid for a "expert" to drive down from Tulsa and fix a processor that I would have done that repair for 1/2 that cost. He just stared at me like I was speaking in tongues.

[RKDinOKC]

Yep, that was the owner's fault leaving you hanging like that.

When the owner was still alive, he would go out an walk thru the company. When he saw something that needed attention he would grab whomever was near him, no matter what they were doing and fix the problem. Then he would make a simple comment that would go MILES..."Well, we earned our salaries today." with a big smile.

He would also sometimes just stand a watch someone doing their job without saying a word. The after several minutes, sometimes more he would tell them, "You are doing a great job, you can do that for me any time." I don't know of many employees that were around when he was active he didn't do that to at some point.

He had bunches of devout workers because of those simple things that made them feel like they were working for a person and not a corporate entity.

[Porsche-poor]

Originally Posted by RKDinOKC

Yep, that was the owner's fault leaving you hanging like that.

When the owner was still alive, he would go out an walk thru the company. When he saw something that needed attention he would grab whomever was near him, no matter what they were doing and fix the problem. Then he would make a simple comment that would go MILES..."Well, we earned our salaries today." with a big smile.

He would also sometimes just stand a watch someone doing their job without saying a word. The after several minutes, sometimes more he would tell them, "You are doing a great job, you can do that for me any time."

He had bunches of devout workers because of those simple things that made them feel like they were working for a person and not a corporate entity.

Sounds like a leader not a boss.

[RKDinOKC]

The other thing is if he was watching you and didn't like how the job was being done, he would immediately get involved and change how it was being done whether it is how the job was setup, or how the employee was doing it. Even if it meant showing you how HE wanted the job done.

[RKDinOKC]

When my brother became president people started talking about the company like it was a corporate entity instead of a specific person. I told him what his father-in-law did and how he need to spend a little time now and then and do the same thing. Instead of telling them they were doing a good job, or fixing things that needed fixing, he would get all personal and chat about their family. Got to where they liked him as a person but then never made the I work for Him instead of the corporate Them personalization thing.

When I was a supervisor I treated my employees like the founder did and they became fiercely loyal. The only problem I had was one of my guys was OCD. I would go to lunch and when I came back all the work I had out working on was filed away and my office was re-arranged. I gave him free reign to rearrange the entire department area but threaten to write him up for insubordination if he messed with my desk to stop him from messing with whatever I had out working on.

[Porsche-poor]

its official now they posted it in their press release section online.

http://www.bwdesigngroup.com/docs/default-source/pressroom-library/dg_pma_030216.pdf?sfvrsn=4

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

It was OK to hire a outside "expert" and pay a lot because they are experts. When I fixed it it was just something I should do because I was already there. It did not sit well with me.

Most companies are too dumb to realize this... I offered to fix several things on my company car at my last job because it would be quicker than waiting all day for service. But they had no way to code to get accounting to pay for parts if it didn't come through on a service ticket. I said screw it, I'm hourly I'll go make my money sitting in a waiting room!

[Porsche-poor]

I'm now salaried so I'd get paid even if not working.

[porsche4life]

Salary is cool until they start expecting you to work outside normal hours... I loved traveling and working conventions when I was hourly. I could easily clock 50+ hours a week then. But once I switched to salary I quickly realized I was getting effed. Thats fine I'd drive until I was too "tired" about 5pm and grab a motel instead of getting on home... That cost them hotel, plus another day of per diem, plus....

[Porsche-poor]

You got that right. I'm not happy about it. Had an argument with a lady here who is hourly and didn't get why we (the engineering staff) were upset about it. Told her how would she like to turn in two weeks times sheets for say 50-60 hours per week but then get a two week check for 80 hours. I guess if I have to work for free the client might not get billed...................

[porsche4life]

Joe, didn't you try to build a hovercraft?