How to survive peak

[over9five]

Yuck! Guess I'm a girly-man!

 

[UPS Lifer]

After reading both yours and soberups posts, I have to side with sobers. No- not all managers and sups fall into that a-hole catagory but from my own experience unfortunately the majority of them do. I worked under 8 or 9 center manager's and can honestly say that only one was a pleasure to work for. He treated everyone with respect, didn't play favorites and went out of his way to make sure the troops were happy. In return I can't recall any flare ups with labor. Every one did their job and got along great. Then there were the ones that played favorites, let problems slide and and weren't around to put out fires. The last of them were a bunch of yehoos. They came in smoking and pissed off everyone -labor and peon management. Everyone ,labor anyway, got their jobs back. These guys (and one gal) WERE number 1 a-holes. I'm sure not everyone will agree with me but that is what I experienced during my 30 at the Brown Machine. As far as job security I'm sure the one DM, one center manager and a couple of sups I know wquld probably argue with you about that---if you can find which MacDonalds they are working at.

Rod, I appreciate your perspective and really do understand it.

As a manager...

I guess I just do not agree with "categorizing" a segment of employees. The closest I have come to the "pigeon hole" is with PT supervisors and I regret that as well. Sometimes when I pigeon hole people I will look for ways to stuff a person into the category that I have defined for them. If I do that, I will have a colored view of that person and lose my perspective on working with them.

On the reverse side...
I have seen management do it with drivers or with the union as well. I will be the first to take a management person aside and counsel them. Other pigeon hole categories that I have seen are IE Reps and AEs.

It is best to set the pre-conceived notions aside to be able to work in a constructive manner with each person.

 

[UPS Lifer]

I know several management people who are scrupulously honest and fair. Do you know what they have in common? They are 50+ year-old on-car supervisors who have no chance at promotion and who are desperately trying to hang on until they can get out at 55 with medical benefits.

** It is called wisdom! Most drivers also fit into that category as well. It starts to take hold in your 40's and continues to build. It has nothing to do with promotion or hanging on. Though I did find that as you get closer to your retirement goal you tend to stay away from the "edge"!

Job security? Management people are considered "at will" employees. You guys can be fired, demoted or transferred at the whim of your superiors. I had a sup once who got transferred to California...on one week's notice. He had to spend his "vacation" packing and moving.

** A savvy management person knows how to protect themselves from being taken advantage of. Many times I watched managers in the cross-hair come out completely unscathed. The weak get preyed upon. This is no different in the driver ranks.

Paid for every minute? Tell that to the sup who is putting in 70+ hr weeks and taking paperwork home to do on weekends.

** Again the weak get preyed upon and then there are some that make trade offs. I do realize that things have changed since we went public but there are many UPS management people out there who are multi-millionaires and are in the top 2% of wealth. I always felt that I was justly compensated.

Anybody who disagrees with our need for union representation needs to first take a look at how UPS treats its own management people if they want to see what life at UPS would be like without a union contract.

** Contrary to popular opinion, I believe the union is a good thing. It helps to force a harmonic balance. It also forces communication when there is a breakdown of the same. I do not believe it is necessary for all and I recognize there are good and bad elements within management & the union.

I also believe that management needs to have the same basic representation process as non-management. Again this would benefit those who do not understand their rights or protections under the law. It will also help to eliminate the need for lawsuits. The current system is designed to protect the company... not the management employee. JMHO!

The topic of this thread is "how to survive peak." I survive by remembering to be grateful. I am grateful not to be in management for UPS.

** I am grateful for being able to participate on all levels. PT hub, FT Driver, and Management. Peak Season was ALWAYS the best part of the year for me personally. It was a time of year where the focus was on the customer and getting holiday packages delivered.

As a driver, I enjoyed watching the faces of customers light up as we brought the presents from their loved ones. I did not care about the cold or the smell of our customer's dinner cooking or watching them chew their food as I delivered!

As a manager, I was able to do what I needed to get my drivers in prior to 19:30 during Peak Week and on X-Mas Eve I was able to have 75% of employees off the clock by 4PM and 98% gone by 17:30.

If you are not already doing this - establish meet points for each loop at 1-2 PM and make sure the work load is distributed between the drivers so that no one is left hanging out there.

This is the only time of the year that I miss working!

 

[Babagounj]

As far as job security I'm sure the one DM, one center manager and a couple of sups I know would probably argue with you about that---if you can find which MacDonalds they are working at.

Around here most end up working at Staples, the office supply store.

 

[UPS Lifer]

I believe it is Susie driver I fought with over her calling our job , just a job, and with 24 yrs, half my life, I called it a career.
I agree with you UPSLIFER, I was referring to the unfortunate instance with a driver. In the case where a career is ruining your life, or making you not want to live, at that point a career, is just a job.
And you need to leave the work, and find another job or career.
There did I clarify my ownself? There I go flip flopping.

I hope this doesn't sound too complex... I understood what you were saying. My comments were not meant for you - they were meant for a few other posters who might not understand the difference.....(job/career)

But I think you cleared it up quite well!!! Thanks!

 

[toonertoo]

it was so non-complex even I understood it. Thanks as always for your valuable input

 

[dirty moose]

peak is easy, make your helper do all the work =) and never leave the truck

 

[NaiveRapture]

peak is easy, make your helper do all the work =) and never leave the truck

Haha I try to do this as much as I can... get as much work as possible off when you have that helper with you, so you have more time to do things efficiently, safely, and with the least amount of stress during the rest of your already long day. So says a PT driver of 15 months