Half hour breaks?

[Maui]

I’m well aware of that, Einstein. And why do you think that is? It’s because they lack the competence and business acumen to figure that out themselves.

FedEx operates in a highly matrixes structure. It simply does not operate on a General Manager model and instead focuses on specialization. Operators are expected to drive operational efficiencies. Sales is Opco agnostic and sells a business portfolio - they drive pricing and yields which operators may or may not agree. HR has it's own matrix. Finance and accounting has their own matrix. Properties and facilities are separate. Ops planning/engineering has it's own matrix.

The kind of model you suggest is simply not how FedEx operates. Maybe a GM model would provide better results. Maybe allowing teams to specialize allows more focus on core strengths.

I'm not sure how many organizations you have worked or led. There are costs and benefits to both types of structures. A GM model with responsibilities for ops, finance, sales, billing, payroll, marketing, customer service, and maintenance places much more on the individuals in that role. You need broad-based experience and the learning curve can be long. When there is a truly great leader with knowledge/experience in all those areas one person can drive exceptional changes. One person can also drive a business into the ground.

The matrixed model of specialization allows for less reliance on an individual to be excellent. There is certainly varied performance and some will always be better than others. It allows each group/team to make decisions that drive the results in their specialty - ops, sales, supply chain, etc independent of additional influence. At much higher levels the leaders of the orgs hash it out. This allows for faster, more nimble movements. This may not always happen in practice.

Different business models can work. You are asking for FedEx to fundamentally operate differently than it has for decades. There would be substantial cost to that type of reorganization. Would it ultimately be beneficial? I do not know. I like more cooperation and communication between functional groups and get frustrated sometimes. I don't see how remaking the whole of FedEx would drive better results in the near-term and maybe ever.

 

[floridays]

FedEx operates in a highly matrixes structure. It simply does not operate on a General Manager model and instead focuses on specialization. Operators are expected to drive operational efficiencies. Sales is Opco agnostic and sells a business portfolio - they drive pricing and yields which operators may or may not agree. HR has it's own matrix. Finance and accounting has their own matrix. Properties and facilities are separate. Ops planning/engineering has it's own matrix.

The kind of model you suggest is simply not how FedEx operates. Maybe a GM model would provide better results. Maybe allowing teams to specialize allows more focus on core strengths.

I'm not sure how many organizations you have worked or led. There are costs and benefits to both types of structures. A GM model with responsibilities for ops, finance, sales, billing, payroll, marketing, customer service, and maintenance places much more on the individuals in that role. You need broad-based experience and the learning curve can be long. When there is a truly great leader with knowledge/experience in all those areas one person can drive exceptional changes. One person can also drive a business into the ground.

The matrixed model of specialization allows for less reliance on an individual to be excellent. There is certainly varied performance and some will always be better than others. It allows each group/team to make decisions that drive the results in their specialty - ops, sales, supply chain, etc independent of additional influence. At much higher levels the leaders of the orgs hash it out. This allows for faster, more nimble movements. This may not always happen in practice.

Different business models can work. You are asking for FedEx to fundamentally operate differently than it has for decades. There would be substantial cost to that type of reorganization. Would it ultimately be beneficial? I do not know. I like more cooperation and communication between functional groups and get frustrated sometimes. I don't see how remaking the whole of FedEx would drive better results in the near-term and maybe ever.

The matrix model also allows for less individual accountability.
Would you agree the frontline manager under that organizational system is mainly a glorified secretary with basically no authority to assert individual managerial qualities? A frontline manager is basically told this is the plan, you aren't hired to think. My observation.

I'm serious, please educate me. This is what I have observed for the most part.
Frontline managers at FedEx do not manage, they try to hold things together. That has been my observation.

Please help me out.

 

[AB831]

I love it! "You're a jerk or whatever, but you made up a story about being a jerk."

Dude....that story never happened. No one on earth is going to refuse a two week pay raise to do a job that won't fall back on them at all if they friend--k up.

 

[AB831]

FedEx operates in a highly matrixes structure. It simply does not operate on a General Manager model and instead focuses on specialization. Operators are expected to drive operational efficiencies. Sales is Opco agnostic and sells a business portfolio - they drive pricing and yields which operators may or may not agree. HR has it's own matrix. Finance and accounting has their own matrix. Properties and facilities are separate. Ops planning/engineering has it's own matrix.

The kind of model you suggest is simply not how FedEx operates. Maybe a GM model would provide better results. Maybe allowing teams to specialize allows more focus on core strengths.

I'm not sure how many organizations you have worked or led. There are costs and benefits to both types of structures. A GM model with responsibilities for ops, finance, sales, billing, payroll, marketing, customer service, and maintenance places much more on the individuals in that role. You need broad-based experience and the learning curve can be long. When there is a truly great leader with knowledge/experience in all those areas one person can drive exceptional changes. One person can also drive a business into the ground.

The matrixed model of specialization allows for less reliance on an individual to be excellent. There is certainly varied performance and some will always be better than others. It allows each group/team to make decisions that drive the results in their specialty - ops, sales, supply chain, etc independent of additional influence. At much higher levels the leaders of the orgs hash it out. This allows for faster, more nimble movements. This may not always happen in practice.

Different business models can work. You are asking for FedEx to fundamentally operate differently than it has for decades. There would be substantial cost to that type of reorganization. Would it ultimately be beneficial? I do not know. I like more cooperation and communication between functional groups and get frustrated sometimes. I don't see how remaking the whole of FedEx would drive better results in the near-term and maybe ever.

Thankful for explaining that in a helpful and academic manner. I now have a better understanding of how the company works. You are the anti-Dano.

 

[Maui]

The matrix model also allows for less individual accountability.
Would you agree the frontline manager under that organizational system is mainly a glorified secretary with basically no authority to assert individual managerial qualities? A frontline manager is basically told this is the plan, you aren't hired to think. My observation.

I'm serious, please educate me. This is what I have observed for the most part.
Frontline managers at FedEx do not manage, they try to hold things together. That has been my observation.

Please help me out.

There are times it feels like ops managers are just told what to do and it can feel like you describe. It feels like this when there is some mandate like no PT with P2 - even though you hired people and built a plan specifically to do that 6 months earlier, number of routes in a time segment - which is often just manipulated, or no rentals.at.all.

The reality is that a lot of things are done just for compliance with upper management directives. That isn't unique to FedEx though. How that is handled and communicated locally can impact whether or not it seems like ops managers have much authority.

Within this framework managers have to comply with these directives and have to make every metric known to man - FTE potential (AM, PM, ADMIN, MISC, OR) make pup reliability, FO, PO, SO, DEX03, MSF, SDR WDL, CI Imaging, Cage frequency, VIPER, OPTIC, HPR, FXO. Managers also need to get policy right - which almost no one knows everything. They must handle issues correctly when the process has not been clearly defined and when there is conflicting information from multiple sources. Someone could be focused on an given indici and that become the flavor of the week. So a lot of what they do IS put out fires. And the fact is usually the station is measured on these rather than individual workgroups so weaker managers aren't highlighted.

With that said managers at FedEx manage people and processes. They are responsible for what happens and how the plans are executed. They can't letters for mistakes employees make even if they are off on vacation. The quality of local management is important. Upper management sets the objectives, the senior sets the culture, and the managers execute. Sometimes managing is working within the constraints set by upper management and complaining about it is weak leadership. There are strategies that make life suck for managers and couriers alike, but that get the desired efficiency gains.

Managers have good and bad days like everybody else. Sometimes you were leaving and there is an accident over an hour away that you must investigate and sometimes the freight is on time, you're staffed well and everything goes smooth so it's an easy day.

All in all, I agree with what you say sometimes. It really does depend on many factors at many different levels how much discretion managers have. If you're an MD and you've seen the same mistakes happen by numerous managers, then why wouldn't you just say this is how it MUST be done. Within that there is still a lot of room for decision-making. Hope this answered somewhat. It isn't a simple question though it may appear as one.

 

[Maui]

Thankful for explaining that in a helpful and academic manner. I now have a better understanding of how the company works. You are the anti-Dano.

Thank you and FedEx could still use a P&L. It would just be narrowly focused in each matrix.

 

[AB831]

The matrix model also allows for less individual accountability.
Would you agree the frontline manager under that organizational system is mainly a glorified secretary with basically no authority to assert individual managerial qualities? A frontline manager is basically told this is the plan, you aren't hired to think. My observation.

I'm serious, please educate me. This is what I have observed for the most part.
Frontline managers at FedEx do not manage, they try to hold things together. That has been my observation.

Please help me out.

I think its design is to cover up individual managerial impotence. Think about it. When you need something that requires actual MANAGING, you are almost always left out in the cold. I have spoken to multiple managers about how DRA builds an untenable number of P1 stops on my route. I simply cannot make service in a vehicle that can't go over 100 mph. Has meeting with the engineers and drawing up a plan that would work ever even been entertained? Nope. Their solution is either "make it happen" or "figure something out." Because of DRA building so many zeros and no one knowing whose route is whose on any given day, there is daily fighting within the loop about who should actually take these zeros out. I've recommended sitting down with the engineer and drawing up lines that are more static and less subject to change. What is the answer I'm always given? Some glib line about "teamwork" and/or "sucking it up." Yes, I've worked at only one station, but I have observed this kind of attitude in every single manager I've encountered. So from my perspective, it seems like they aren't actually interested in managing and that's mainly because they don't have to. They have on training wheels that shields them from any of the company's real responsibility like dollars and cents and also gives them immunity to having to actually deal with aspects of the daily operation which they don't feel like fooling with. It is of my honest opinion that the majority of these guys lack the real world managerial skills to run a McDonald's. I know I'm painting with a broad brush, but I'm only going by what I've seen.

 

[59 Dano]

You're correct,
Why would a station manager with a fleet of trucks that has guys/gals jumping out of trucks have anything in common with fly boys?

That's right, we're an airline.

Glad you're catching on.

 

[59 Dano]

I find this to be one of the most honest comments I've ever read from you (it's all in the delivery).

If someone wants a regular conversation, they get a regular conversation. If someone wants an argument, they get an argument. I aim to please.

I agree 100% that some of the couriers couldn't or wouldn't handle the responsibility when things didn't go smoothly. On the other hand, I felt bad for others who have and were thrown under the bus after exercising their problem solving skills.

Barring a monumentally disastrous act or decision, a courier in that position has nothing to worry about. They won't be punished for failing in a situation that they don't have any kind of training or experience in handling.

Instead of giving BZ's for perfect attendance maybe the company should recognize people who are asked to step out of their comfort zone to help the company. If they make mistakes coach them up a bit instead of tearing them down. The best managers I've had actually talked to people. These days all they say is "Log on to Workday and acknowledge your OLCC".

The best manager (and his senior) I had nitpicked everything I did, good or bad. Part of it was that he wanted people to know that he notices their work. The other part was that he liked to know how people make decisions. Some bad decisions are just bad/dumb/whatever. Some are bad, but were the best that could be expected given someone's inexperience, lack of available information, and so forth. It could be aggravating but it was done to help prep me for my first ops manager job.

Can't remember if I ever got any BZs for subbing for an absent manager. Didn't expect any. Was told that since I had interest in management that I should give it a shot. To me, it was a little bit of experience that I probably wouldn't have gotten elsewhere. To someone else, it's just something extra that he has to do. What someone expects to get from doing so probably has a lot to do with shaping their opinion of it.

 

[59 Dano]

That's a LAME story from a LAME Manager....First hard decision..for BBQ spend big on COKE or think station budget with CHEK cola?? hmmm what would DANO do

Peanut gallery always delivers!

 

[floridays]

Glad you're catching on.

I caught on long ago, when was the last time the FAA looked at any of or was even concerned with any of your records?

 

[59 Dano]

The matrix model also allows for less individual accountability.
Would you agree the frontline manager under that organizational system is mainly a glorified secretary with basically no authority to assert individual managerial qualities? A frontline manager is basically told this is the plan, you aren't hired to think. My observation.

I'm serious, please educate me. This is what I have observed for the most part.
Frontline managers at FedEx do not manage, they try to hold things together. That has been my observation.

Please help me out.

ROTLMFAO

 

[59 Dano]

Dude....that story never happened. No one on earth is going to refuse a two week pay raise to do a job that won't fall back on them at all if they friend--k up.

They were told that they'd get discipline if they messed it up. It was right there in the post.

 

[59 Dano]

Thankful for explaining that in a helpful and academic manner. I now have a better understanding of how the company works. You are the anti-Dano.

He is definitely better at holding the hands of idiots and cutting their steak up for them than I am. Props to him.

 

[59 Dano]

Yes, I've worked at only one station...

...It is of my honest opinion that the majority of these guys lack the real world managerial skills to run a McDonald's.

Lucky for us you didn't base that on an incredibly small sample size!

 

[59 Dano]

I caught on long ago, when was the last time the FAA looked at any of or was even concerned with any of your records?

Beats me. Express is rightfully covered by the RLA, so there's that.

 

[Working4the1%]

Peanut gallery always delivers!

Beats me. Express is rightfully covered by the RLA, so there's that.

11/03/20 Tick Tock

 

[59 Dano]

11/03/20 Tick Tock

Peanut gallery always delivers!

Are you familiar with the judicial system? Do you know that it exists?

 

[floridays]

Beats me. Express is rightfully covered by the RLA, so there's that.

You said they were an airline, had been since inception.
I will not argue that point, it is correct.
I asked you the distinct purpose, exactly why the RLA proposed, ratified and signed into law. I didn't ask you precisely in that manner, I'm just pinning you down. Not that it matters.
You never responded, quite convenient.
I'll ask again, exactly what was the purpose of the RLA?

 

[AB831]

They were told that they'd get discipline if they messed it up. It was right there in the post.

Yeah, I can read. I’m pretty sure swapping jobs isn’t part of policy, so the only discipline would be on the fool who left them in charge. Again...it didn’t happen