Hire female CEO to do all the dirty work - layoffs, benefit cuts, terrorizing of employees. Let CEO take all the blame. Get rid of female CEO, replace with male who immediately makes popular announcements. Board and new CEO hope employees ignore the fact that the board approved everything that was done by Bloody Mary and that new CEO was on the board.
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They hired a "retail" team to run a specialized retail operation. That was the error. That's why front line staff were treated like replaceable parts. They wanted to slash payroll because they could slash payroll. They had no performance objectives other than keep the lights on with fewer full time people and fewer part time people with benefits. They didn't understand IT (I don't think Sr. mgmt ever understood IT) so they pushed it out of the executive suite and into the waiting arms of outsource consultants. They thought the executive team was thin so they hired their buddies. Their buddies didn't understand this stuff either. There was a level of management who simply kissed ass and went along so their jobs were protected. They screwed the people who had worked hard for them for many, many years. None of this had anything to do with gender. I'm sure the family made plenty of money on the whole transaction, too. The health of the business was compromised. Its an old company in an old market. It's tough for the old to heal. When one can't heal, one dies.
If anyone is actually listening then is may be advisable to investigate who implemented and wasted millions on off shore developed with little to show for it and the main department that supported all this who now calls themselves a "dynasty". (They actually think they have they company by the "you know whats").
Wasting money, how about a few more India trips
There have been a lot of conflicting messages the past few years. One the one hand, I kept hearing that Follett has no debt and has $50 million to put into a venture fund. We also keep hiring VPs and Senior VPs right and left. On the other hand, we aren't making enough money and need to implement a never ending series of employee benefit cuts. We spend millions outsourcing jobs off-shore to people who produce little or nothing while cutting local employees. This may make sense to the Follett family, but I sure don't get it. Maybe you need to take another look at how you are spending your money.
Forgive me if I remain skeptical until I see some positive changes. A little honesty would be a welcome change. Every time I see an email from HR I know that hidden somewhere in there is a benefit cut if I read closely enough to find it. Quit trying to make cuts sound like something good. I know you didn't cut my profit sharing to be nice to other employees. You did it to save money. You will increase the payout a little bit and pocket the rest, but you made it sound like only a jerk would object to you increasing other employee's profit sharing. Well I do object and I think it was dishonest of you to do it that way.
This family member is listening and learning...
Perhaps Follett should try setting realistic goals. If you set goals that are clearly designed to prevent a payout, it will cause the employees to give up. I saw leaders wasting money right and left. Nothing I could do about it, but I will tell you off shore developers are a waste of money. Quit wasting money and the bottom line will improve.
A bonus is exactly as stated. It is extra pay based on exceeding performance. I don't think anyone can claim Follett exceeded performance in any measure. The bonus was a gift from the family, but it was absolutely the wrong thing to do. You don't reward for bad performance it only reinforces it. I will take the bonus and run, but realistically Follett financial performance was not good. Only improvement was due to head count reduction. No efficiencies gained, terrible IT systems, disengaged employees, leaders that don't know the business etc.
Miss Piggy would have never added $1 where targets not reached. She saw us as cattle Mooooooo
I agree. MLS took the heat for improving the bottom line through layoffs, but the bonus was announced by Ray and the board. MLS made the tough decisions - right or wrong.
Could they have handled it any worse? http://humanresources.about.com/od/layoffsdownsizing/a/downsizing.htm
I'm not that fond of Hillary and I'm not defending MLS. My point is that the Follett family/board approved the things that MLS did. Just because MLS is gone does not make all that happened magically go away. I'm still angry and I hold Follett family and the board responsible. Putting in a new CEO and announcing an employee appreciation BBQ is not going to make me forget or trust the Follett family.
Cops have been colored with a broad brush recently. Some cops are assholes and the ones who cover for them are just not bright. However, it's unfair to compare them with Follett's management team. That team is a special brand of stupid.
I bet you can't wait to vote for Hillary.