First firing salvo!

Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Barbara Harris has been in the company for many many years. She's been a TL for D411 and she's hardworking, and she can "run stores with her eyes closed" so to speak. She knows very well the ins and outs of inventory business and the district. In my opinion, she should have been an Area Manager and would have been one of the best in the D411. In fact she's the one who saw my potential to be a supervisor and encouraged me to undergo a training. But those years, I refused because of how supervisors were compensated. And in my opinion, it didn't make sense.

She is the most qualified to replace an outgoing AM Jean Whitlark who just resigned on December last year. She assumed the position and worked thereafter. On top of her position, RM also gave her additional job description: Scheduling. Therefore, she runs stores 24/7, works at the Tukwila office, in-charge of training for new supervisors, and do scheduling for all auditors for the Tukwila office. At that point I knew that Barbara won't be able to make it in the following month. And that was my bold prediction. By the end of January, she expressed her intention to resign. By February, Barbara was gone.

Later, RM has fired the district' Scheduler! And I was like,"What the hell he is trying to do? Is he nuts?" Ever since, D411 has one full time Scheduler who is responsible for staffing for each store, store assignments, replacements, additions, cancellations, etc. Janet Honeywell is an amazing scheduler, and she makes scheduling a lot less complicated. One resignation, one termination in one month.

Even you look at a different angle, it was a bad decision. Most D411 employees reacted critically about the news. There is no logical explanation why would he fired a competent Scheduler and let Barbara resigned due to fatigue and work overload he gave her? That is pure and classic case of indecision, myopic management, and a product of inexperienced management. What did he gained from these? NOTHING!

What is more disappointing are the events that follow.