A Day That Will Live in Infamy

Friday December 7, 2007

A day that will live in infamy

Note: Shelly’s dad was in Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 where his ship was hit. He suffered burns and received a silver star for saving fellow sailors lives.

Our plant is closed today (not because it is December 7) but because it’s another 4 day work week. I have made $20,000 less this year that I did last year. I started here at the end of September last year. The owners had just bought the company back and it was still busy. They have lost the family business twice. The founder got it back once after being injured on a cruise ship and receiving a large settlement. The son (the current owner) lost it again but bought it back after his wife received a large inherence. It has been on the decline since they have taken over. When I was hired in they had just loss several of their top management people. They replaced them with family members that show up to work when they feel like it.

I am sure that you have figured out that I don’t have much respect for my employer. You are right. Maybe it is because I have been fortunate enough to have been in good positions and worked for good people. Then again maybe it is because I have been in this industry too long and have seen it decline and that I no longer wish to work in this environment. I hate negativity and I hate it even more when it is I. I have always been a very positive person and dislike being around anyone that isn’t. It is hard to change in this environment and around the people that I work with.

When I had my business the top criteria that I considered for hiring someone was attitude. If someone didn’t show an enthusiasm for working in my company I didn’t hire them regardless of experience. One person that wouldn’t cooperate or was a complainer would bring down everybody that had to work with them. If I had someone that wanted to learn and advance their experience and skills I could work with that even if they lacked the experience needed. Attitude was the most important factor.

Leadership: Attitudes of the ownership are reflected throughout a company. I can tell what type of a person the owners are before I ever meet them by the attitudes of their management teams. Companies succeed in many ways. Managers lead by intimidation or by example. Both can get results. But I don’t care to work under a dictator. Life is too short to be doing something that you don’t enjoy.