Buyout Q&A, Jan.22nd Update

[thedownhillEXPRESS]

yeah because we export so much sh** to China right?

 

[59 Dano]

yeah because we export so much sh** to China right?

From 2001 to 2011, our exports to China have increased by over 400%. Exports to China increased every year in that time period with the exception of 2009.

So yeah, you might say we do a lot of exporting to China and the trend suggests that we'll export increasing amounts as time goes on. They'll probably build upon the $50 billion that they already have invested in our domestic economy if we can keep people with ideas as silly as yours out of the way.

 

[thedownhillEXPRESS]

Trade deficit with China expands | Face the Facts USA

 

[59 Dano]

Trade deficit with China expands | Face the Facts USA

Yes, and we're still increasing our exports to China.

A trade deficit isn't a bad thing and no one with a brain cares if it gets even bigger.

 

[vantexan]

Re: Buyout Q&A, Jan.22nd Update

A degree tells you, if nothing else, that the person who holds it was organized enough, diligent enough, and so on to jump through the required hoops and do the required work for four years and earn a degree (with a good GPA, hopefully). You know the person took on lots and lots of new information that he had to learn, juggled multiple tasks, developed a sense of time management, learned to work with others, honed his organizational skills, worked and socialized with many different types of people, showed initiative, etc.

That doesn't mean he will do a good job, but it indicates that he's done those things to some extent. If 2 peoples' qualifications were otherwise pretty evenly matched and the only difference is that one had a degree, I'd probably pick the guy with the degree more often than not. It can help you do better at your job, but that doesn't mean it will. As with anything else, how the person applies his knowledge and experience is what matters most.

I have nothing against getting a degree, it's mandatory for many better career paths. However I've worked for or with more ops mgrs than most and most had degrees. Almost all of them I could run circles around. Most when they had to do courier work when we were shorthanded showed a repugnance for the work and made many statements to that fact. The worst were those who never were couriers. It's difficult to explain anything to one who has no clue and doesn't seem interested in learning. That doesn't mean someone drawing schematics for a new machine or studying microbes in a lab or whatever isn't highly intelligent. I'm sure they are brilliant. But I'm also certain that person has no desire to work like we do. And I'm also certain from years of observation that many FedEx ops mgrs did the minimum needed to obtain a degree to enhance their opportunities but bring little to the table beyond enforcing the rules and never letting us forget they are superior because they are in mgmt.

IMO what makes a good mgr is one who has been a courier, has a real passion for his work, and cares very much for his people. I've known a few of them, and sometimes wish I had put up with the high costs of those areas to still work for them. Often the quality of your work life rests squarely on who your mgr is. The best mgrs? Almost always those who you can tell are troubled by what the company is doing to their employees. It's a struggle for them to try and motivate us when they know there's little incentive to go the extra mile. They try to reward those who do make the effort, and take the time to be friendly and encouraging.

 

[thedownhillEXPRESS]

Yes, and we're still increasing our exports to China.

A trade deficit isn't a bad thing and no one with a brain cares if it gets even bigger.

Yes, no brains at George Washington University.

So much for that degree theory of yours I suppose...

 

[59 Dano]

Yes, no brains at George Washington University.

So much for that degree theory of yours I suppose...

Oh good grief, another who thinks that what we normally call a "trade deficit" is bad but can't explain why. All you know is "the union is agin' it and we'd all have union facktry jerbs if'n not fer them ferriners."

 

[MrFedEx]

Oh good grief, another who thinks that what we normally call a "trade deficit" is bad but can't explain why. All you know is "the union is agin' it and we'd all have union facktry jerbs if'n not fer them ferriners."

The trade deficit with China is extreme. That's so you and Aunt Irma can go down to WallyWorld and buy your Chinese-made crap cheap, made with WalMart-driven cheap Chinese labor. Our planes leave there full, and return mostly empty, as do container ships. The Chinese government is well-known for currency manipulation, which furthers their advantage.

Cheap Chinese goods are a defacto "discount" to most US consumers, because they are able to buy more for less. The trade-off, is that nearly all the products that used to be manufactured here by relatively well-paid US workers, are now produced there. Shoes, clothing, electronics...the list goes on and on.

As long as you and Aunt Irma are happy, I'm happy too.

 

[59 Dano]

Re: Buyout Q&A, Jan.22nd Update

I have nothing against getting a degree, it's mandatory for many better career paths. However I've worked for or with more ops mgrs than most and most had degrees. Almost all of them I could run circles around. Most when they had to do courier work when we were shorthanded showed a repugnance for the work and made many statements to that fact. The worst were those who never were couriers. It's difficult to explain anything to one who has no clue and doesn't seem interested in learning. That doesn't mean someone drawing schematics for a new machine or studying microbes in a lab or whatever isn't highly intelligent. I'm sure they are brilliant. But I'm also certain that person has no desire to work like we do. And I'm also certain from years of observation that many FedEx ops mgrs did the minimum needed to obtain a degree to enhance their opportunities but bring little to the table beyond enforcing the rules and never letting us forget they are superior because they are in mgmt.

IMO what makes a good mgr is one who has been a courier, has a real passion for his work, and cares very much for his people. I've known a few of them, and sometimes wish I had put up with the high costs of those areas to still work for them. Often the quality of your work life rests squarely on who your mgr is. The best mgrs? Almost always those who you can tell are troubled by what the company is doing to their employees. It's a struggle for them to try and motivate us when they know there's little incentive to go the extra mile. They try to reward those who do make the effort, and take the time to be friendly and encouraging.

I never said it guaranteed anything, only that it was an indicator that someone had accomplished certain goals and experienced various events. The best manager I ever had at any job never finished college, but he was and is an incredibly bright person. Had he attempted to finish college he would have done so with no problem.

Let me present the other side of the coin to go with what you said. Couriers can have some pretty impractical ideas. That's usually because they are for the benefit of that courier and don't take into account their effects on other parts of operations. Those who will take a broader look at things are hard to find.

 

[MrFedEx]

Re: Buyout Q&A, Jan.22nd Update

I never said it guaranteed anything, only that it was an indicator that someone had accomplished certain goals and experienced various events. The best manager I ever had at any job never finished college, but he was and is an incredibly bright person. Had he attempted to finish college he would have done so with no problem.

Let me present the other side of the coin to go with what you said. Couriers can have some pretty impractical ideas. That's usually because they are for the benefit of that courier and don't take into account their effects on other parts of operations. Those who will take a broader look at things are hard to find.

vantexan is right in that a college degree shows you have discipline, an ability to finish what you start, and probably a wider, more-informed view of the world as a result. It is absolutely not a pre-requisite for "success", which is defined many ways by many different people. I have a degree, and it has helped me be a better communicator and to pretty much always be "in the loop" in conversation with most people. I can also write a coherent memo that is spelled correctly and actually communicates the idea I intended, which cannot be said for many managers. I have seen memos and letters written by management that look like a 7th grader composed them. Bad spelling, poor grammar, and wandering paragraphs that lead to nowhere.

Couriers actually have some pretty great ideas. The problem is that they are ignored 99% of the time at this company, and if one of their ideas is actually used, someone in management gets the credit. It's interesting that you speak of a "broader look", when Memphis has such a myopic focus on management ideas and pure profit.

Funny how you've just re-appeared. Again.

 

[59 Dano]

The trade deficit with China is extreme. That's so you and Aunt Irma can go down to WallyWorld and buy your Chinese-made crap cheap, made with WalMart-driven cheap Chinese labor. Our planes leave there full, and return mostly empty, as do container ships.

I have a trade deficit with the grocery store. I buy lots of stuff from it, but it buys nothing from me. Nothing. Using this goofy anti-trade deficit theory, I would be better off if the store's offerings were cut to nearly nothing. Deficit reduced!!!

Cheap Chinese goods are a defacto "discount" to most US consumers, because they are able to buy more for less. The trade-off, is that nearly all the products that used to be manufactured here by relatively well-paid US workers, are now produced there. Shoes, clothing, electronics...the list goes on and on.

Replace "cheap Chinese labor" with "cheap automated labor" and you still have the same thing, fewer Americans producing the goods and automation has arguably cost us as many jobs over the years as them dadgum ferriners. I don't see anyone (with a brain) railing against advances in technology, though.

The bulk of the jobs we've lost to foreign countries were low skilled factory jobs. We're not pushing technology on our kids in schools to prepare them for the hopeful (?) return of the jeans factory so that they can sew the zippers in for minimum wage plus 50 cents.

 

[MrFedEx]

I have a trade deficit with the grocery store. I buy lots of stuff from it, but it buys nothing from me. Nothing. Using this goofy anti-trade deficit theory, I would be better off if the store's offerings were cut to nearly nothing. Deficit reduced!!!



Replace "cheap Chinese labor" with "cheap automated labor" and you still have the same thing, fewer Americans producing the goods and automation has arguably cost us as many jobs over the years as them dadgum ferriners. I don't see anyone (with a brain) railing against advances in technology, though.

The bulk of the jobs we've lost to foreign countries were low skilled factory jobs. We're not pushing technology on our kids in schools to prepare them for the hopeful (?) return of the jeans factory so that they can sew the zippers in for minimum wage plus 50 cents.

Sorry that you weren't able to go to college.

 

[59 Dano]

Re: Buyout Q&A, Jan.22nd Update

Couriers actually have some pretty great ideas. The problem is that they are ignored 99% of the time at this company, and if one of their ideas is actually used, someone in management gets the credit. It's interesting that you speak of a "broader look", when Memphis has such a myopic focus on management ideas and pure profit.

I never said they didn't have good ideas, I said that they can have some that are impractical. Why are 99% of them ignored? They are narrow in focus and don't take into other factors into consideration. The gains in one area (service, for instance) are more than offset by losses in another (SPH). Or vice versa. Or this guy wants his route adjusted to get more hours. OK, but it hurts the station in P/FTE and doesn't give us any gains in SPH or service. And my personal favorite, the courier who always makes service and goal who swears that his area is too big for him to make service and goal and he wants it restructured. "We can hire a PT courier to take what I bleed off." Yeah.

All of the above X 100. They aren't necessarily bad idea, just narrow.

 

[59 Dano]

Sorry that you weren't able to go to college.

Went, graduated. Learned all about xenophobia, which I'd mostly forgotten about until I started reading your posts.

But best of luck in your efforts to bring back the low skilled job for which you're better suited.

 

[MrFedEx]

Went, graduated. Learned all about xenophobia, which I'd mostly forgotten about until I started reading your posts.

But best of luck in your efforts to bring back the low skilled job for which you're better suited.

I went, and graduated too. I guess I went to a better school, because it's pretty clear you don't understand xenophobia. Is Corporate Ass Kisser and General Lackey considered a high-skill job or a low-skill job?

 

[thedownhillEXPRESS]

I went, and graduated too. I guess I went to a better school, because it's pretty clear you don't understand xenophobia. Is Corporate Ass Kisser and General Lackey considered a high-skill job or a low-skill job?

High Skill Job.......

In Memphis

 

[59 Dano]

I went, and graduated too. I guess I went to a better school, because it's pretty clear you don't understand xenophobia. Is Corporate Ass Kisser and General Lackey considered a high-skill job or a low-skill job?

I understand it well. It goes hand-in-hand with nearly all anti-trade arguments. If not initially, eventually.

What's your degree in, being a loser? You've documented your failed aspirations here on more than one occasion, not that you can keep your stories consistent.

 

[MrFedEx]

I understand it well. It goes hand-in-hand with nearly all anti-trade arguments. If not initially, eventually.

What's your degree in, being a loser? You've documented your failed aspirations here on more than one occasion, not that you can keep your stories consistent.

No. you don't understand xenophobia. I have nothing against the Chinese, initially or eventually. Ever. I have 2 degrees, both business-related. My only aspiration here is to expose FedEx for what it is, and also expose the weasels they send out to try and mute the message.

 

[59 Dano]

No. you don't understand xenophobia. I have nothing against the Chinese, initially or eventually. Ever. I have 2 degrees, both business-related.

Coulda fooled... everyone! All that education, business education at that, and you hide it sooooooooo well!

 

[vantexan]

Re: Buyout Q&A, Jan.22nd Update

I never said it guaranteed anything, only that it was an indicator that someone had accomplished certain goals and experienced various events. The best manager I ever had at any job never finished college, but he was and is an incredibly bright person. Had he attempted to finish college he would have done so with no problem.

Let me present the other side of the coin to go with what you said. Couriers can have some pretty impractical ideas. That's usually because they are for the benefit of that courier and don't take into account their effects on other parts of operations. Those who will take a broader look at things are hard to find.

The problem with your point is that couriers can think anything they like, but are powerless to implement change on their own. The company puts a lot of window dressing on trying to make us think our input is part of the process, but they only try something we come up with when it's clear it will work and make them look good in the process. In my experience, that is, YMMV.