Thread regarding General Motors layoffs

In other companies, there are succession plans in place within departments, where successors are groomed from within the pool of currently working employees. Meaning, your manager can likely do, what you yourself do to some degree. Within GM, and of course there are some exceptions, it's rare or almost non-existent that any GM manager can actually do the work of those in which they manage. The workers, teach the manager a little about what they do, and the manager, manages the group for deliverable timing and resource allocation, among other things.

What GM does have as a culture, is promotion based upon gender. What GM does have, is promotion based upon whom has the most degrees or credentials - talent is optional. What GM does have, is promotion based upon no actual working experience in that particular skill set - I've seen this many times. I suspect at the higher levels, this gets even more difficult as it's not possible to cover all requirements necessary to understand everything. What I do suspect, is that we have a lot of business degree candidates running the upper levels, in which profit is likely the primary motive.

This topic is very loaded, but I ask myself... Among designers, engineers, chemists, business managers, computer programmers, etc, ARE there perhaps groups of people that are more analytical critical thinkers in their profession on the day to day? This isn't to disregard what others may do, but some fields are more mentally challenging than others. The brain, is not that much unlike any other muscle. Those that flex it the most, whom reads the most, likely knows and understands the most. Meaning, perhaps the wrong candidates are in the wrong seats on the bus much of the time. This is what should be promoted, and not the other criteria above. The problem, is these diamonds in the rough, are often not utilized to their full talent or capacity.

Do you want to know what is the most common reoccurring suggestion I hear?

Give me a quality built frame and exterior of a car, with an engine, AC and maybe power steering. Keep all the other gadgets and give me a fair price. But, from the business side, those $1500 in gadgets, adds $15000 on to the price tag. That's why it's there. When those gadgets price a vehicle towards the size of a mortgage payment, is their ever a line in the sand?

When I paid cash for my car, I knew what I wanted precisely. I told the dealer give me the absolute cheapest options for this make and model. If you can take everything out of this car aside from the AC and front seat to discount the price, do it. Don't offer me extras. It was the quickest sales experience I've ever had, and the fastest sale he had ever had. True story.

Ummm, OP! These greedy id--ts don't know how to listen. The path to the top at GM is wraught with so much corruption, it's frightening!

That’s a great story...and you tell it so well. You would have a much better reception and discussion on reddit or any number of other websites.

Any news or rumors on the layoffs?

Hopefully management listens. I agree- and I say so hesitentantly, given that it’s easy for people to scapegoat- I think if you are to rationally step back and analyze what’s “wrong” with GM, for the most part the issues stem from management. There are plenty of bright, passionate people working for GM. They just happen to get ground to dust by the culture and driving elements behind what gets done. GM does not have processes and practices in place to measure and identify failing managers, plain and simple. There are so many people in middle and upper management positions who are nothing but a detriment to the work that is getting done. Very sad to see from

the inside- given that it’s clear as day, yet also obvious that there’s no way to do anything about it. It’s the sort of thing that crushes individuals who actually want to drive for improvement.