Getting rid of the slackers. Humor: General Motors, feeling it was time for a shake-up, hired a new CEO. The new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers. On a tour of...

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

General Motors, feeling it was time for a shake-up, hired a new CEO. The new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers.

On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning on a wall. The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know that he meant business.

He walked up to the guy leaning against the wall and asked, "How much money do you make a week?"

A little surprised, the young man looked at him and replied, "I make $400 a week. Why?"

The CEO then hands the guy $1,600 in cash and screams, "Here's four weeks' pay, now GET OUT and don't come back!"

Feeling pretty good about himself, the CEO looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that bloody slacker did here?"

From across the room came a voice: "That was the pizza delivery guy from Domino's."

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Very good!

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

DaveO wrote:

Very good!

I wish I had been the pizza guy. That's a hell of a tip.

Opus Loc: South East Michigan

pounder35 wrote:

General Motors, feeling it was time for a shake-up... (show quote)

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

pounder35 wrote:

General Motors, feeling it was time for a shake-up... (show quote)

In his book about his life Louis L'amour tells a similar story. During the Depression he and a friend were working digging post holes for phone/power poles with hand tools. They were averaging 4 holes a day, all the other two man teams were only averaging 2. They had been offered better pay by another contractor but said they had given their word to finish the job they were on first. One day as they were taking a brake someone from the head office came by and yelled at them that they were fired for slacking off. As they walked over to where the other contractor was working they heard their now former foreman telling the suit he had just fired the highest producing team he had and now they would be in danger of not finishing by the dead line, beyond which the company still had to finish the work but would get no pay.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

robertjerl wrote:

In his book about his life Louis L'amour tells a s... (show quote)

I learned a long time ago that the "suits" who have never been in the trenches and actually did the physical work normally don't know s**t. Just like Obozo they don't know what end of a shovel goes in the dirt. And I've told a few "bosses" that. I didn't get fired because I produced and made the "suits" look good. What a world.

Zophman Loc: Northwest

pounder35 wrote:

I learned a long time ago that the "suits" who have never been in the trenches and actually did the physical work normally don't know s**t. Just like Obozo they don't know what end of a shovel goes in the dirt. And I've told a few "bosses" that. I didn't get fired because I produced and made the "suits" look good. What a world.

Good leadership is understanding what the expectations are for the job at hand. Too many "leaders" fail miserably because of their ego. But, unfortunately, there is pain and suffering passed on to others. The lesson is don't jump to conclusions and do stupid s**t.

GeorgeH Loc: Jonesboro, GA

Carolyn, the best boss I ever had, made a point of being able to do any and every job in the library system she ran. She said that she might be pretty slow at some of the tasks, but she felt that she really needed to know what those of us in the trenches faced. Truly a wise woman!

Opus Loc: South East Michigan

Years ago I read an article about the decline in manufacturing in America. The author was a Harvard Prof. who link the start of the decline of American industrial system to the early 1970s when businesses went from promoting people taken from the workroom floor into middle management to kids right out of collage. He used multiple examples of knowledge that could only be gained through actual experience instead of the classroom. I was a very interesting read and I wish I could find it and post it here but after looking for 30 minutes no luck.

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

Opus wrote:

Years ago I read an article about the decline in m... (show quote)

It only makes sense to know the job from the ground up. Not necessarily starting at the bottom but get to know something about every department under you. Spend a few days around a production line or in the field with technicians. Get out of the office and see the conditions your people work under. I've had jobs where I sweated in 100+ degree temperatures in the summer and below freezing in the winter but the job had to be done. And a lot times a supervisor who could be in a comfortable office was out there in the field with us. Mostly getting in the way but it's the thought that counts.

Zophman Loc: Northwest

pounder35 wrote:

It only makes sense to know the job from the groun... (show quote)

I always thought a good trait of a good manager was to demonstrate he/she was willing to do what their subordinates were tasked to do, even if the manager wasn't' t technically qualified. I mean do you want the hospital manager doing surgery?

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

Zophman wrote:

I always thought a good trait of a good manager was to demonstrate he/she was willing to do what their subordinates were tasked to do, even if the manager wasn't' t technically qualified. I mean do you want the hospital manager doing surgery?

I think a hospital janitor performed brain surgery on a few liberals around here. But that's a different story.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Zophman wrote:

I always thought a good trait of a good manager was to demonstrate he/she was willing to do what their subordinates were tasked to do, even if the manager wasn't' t technically qualified. I mean do you want the hospital manager doing surgery?

I had surgery last week and was glad that receptionist stayed at her job!

The president of Ford doesn't need to know how to repair a t***smission,so his chain of command hopefully can be relied upon.

GeorgeH Loc: Jonesboro, GA

DaveO wrote:

I had surgery last week and was glad that receptionist stayed at her job!

The president of Ford doesn't need to know how to repair a t***smission,so his chain of command hopefully can be relied upon.

IIRC Michael Moore in one of his first films asked the CEOs of GM, Chrysler, and Ford to do a little auto maintenance - change the oil and filter on one of their products. Seems that only the Ford man could, or was willing to do the job....

pounder35 Loc: "Southeast of Disorder"

GeorgeH wrote:

IIRC Michael Moore in one of his first films asked the CEOs of GM, Chrysler, and Ford to do a little auto maintenance - change the oil and filter on one of their products. Seems that only the Ford man could, or was willing to do the job....

As DaveO stated. It's not what they were hired to do. Why not ask an assembly worker to conduct a meeting of the board of directors? Hell some of them might do a better job looking at how some corporations are losing money.