On 2014-02-08 5:13 PM, notbob wrote:
> On 2014-02-08, jmcquown > wrote:
>
>> Management sure liked to listen to themselves talk! Talk about how we
>> could do our jobs better. How about you let us go back to our desks and
>> *do* our jobs?
>>
>> Don't get me started on the stupid "teambuilding" exercises...
>
> LOL!!..... oh, the memories.
>
> Wasn't it all so stupid? Middle mgt is the biggest waste/drain on
> corporate structure of all time. Astonishingly, it was identified as
> such way back in the 1970 in the brilliant book, Up the Organization
> by Peter Townsend.

We went through a major restructuring at work that saw every second
level of management removed. We were in a branch office and had an area
supervisor. There was another area supervisor in the district office
for the crew there. He reported to the district supervisor who reported
to the district manager... all in the same building. The district
manager reported to the regional manager. They stripped out the area
supervisors and district managers.

Later on they converted us to self directed work teams. Theory was that
middle management was waste space, that they did more to impede
productivity than to improve it. We went to a number of sessions to
learn about the new system and how it was to be implemented. It was
working great... we thought... but the middle management that was left
fought it tooth and nail. They saw themselves loosing power.

Over the next few years front line staff numbers fell through attrition,
but more management jobs opened up in the head office.





>
>
> I didn't hafta retire and I tried not to, but after the third
> retraining effort and subsequent crash, I jes gave up and retired at
> 53. I shoulda retrained in investments, cuz I eventually lost my nest
> egg. But, a higher calling, my mom, prevailed and I'm now where I am.
> In fact, I'm currently picking around for a supplementary income, so
> am not above working, again.

Working for the government has some advantages. It also helps to have a
good union. The current mindset seems to think that all civil servants
are inherently lazy and useless and the government wanted to get rid of
a bunch of us and privatize the work. We were save in the enforcement
branch because that is too hard to contract out, but the deal for others
to retire early applied to us. I opted to take the early retirement
package at 53. I liked my job and my son was still in university but I
had a 6 month window to take it. If I didn't go I would not have the
opportunity for another 5 years.... so I took it. I never looked back.