Dear readers and friends

Its been a while since I made my last blog on APH, productivity and the ridiculous RGIS ADP paycard. My apologies. Some of you readers have commented on several issues regarding the topics being mentioned and other subjects somewhere in my blog.

Some of you were asking which district I represent and where it is located. It's the Seattle District, in Washington State. I've been working with this district for 6 straight years now. Some of my friends whom most of them are former RGIS supervisors and AMs, asked me why I am still working with my district. Well, I told them, why not? I think my lifestyle and availabilities work well with the company.

I don't criticize RGIS just for the sake of bringing foolish discussion on the table, nor blather the company for fun, like other blogs in the Internet (no offense to my co-bloggers). While blogging this company with lots of BS stuff create some rhetoric mileage, it does not deal with the real and core issues on hand. I prefer a more reasoned critical approach to events surrounding RGIS and the whole inventory industry. If you can deal with that, then this is the right place to go.

I stepped down to supervisory level recently for a lot of good reasons.My friends know what I am talking. Also, back in my Auditor days, I was a top gun according to RGIS' current ASET level. I hope readers won't charge me of bragging this accomplishment. Top Guns are the least group among RGIS skilled inventory members. In fact it is a dying population in my district and at the verge of extinction.

Now, that I have more time with my computer and the internet, you can expect that I can spend more time on blogging than on managing.

Thanks to all of you and I hope to be more visible this time.

Happy Counting!

New Changes for 2009

Its been a while since I made my last post several months ago. Partly because, I was under training for a higher position for the company which it took a lot of my blogging time to lagging- behind time. In other words I was literally very busy 24/7.

Now, I can spend some of my time blogging since eveybody knows that December is a No-Work Month. Not because it is a holiday for the company but because there IS NO inventory to be done on holiday seasons. Besides, it is also the best time when D411 can conduct leaders' meeting, make changes to policies, train future supervisors, hire new employees for the next year big blast, things like that.

There have been several changes that happened over the last 2 months or so. These changes, whether you like it or not are not so encouraging:

1. Travel Policy. The district now has abolished the travel stores policy on certain circumstances. It will only applies when the distance goes beyond 80 miles round trip OR when the district approves of the distance.

2. Break Time. Break time has been reduced to 10 minutes per break. Before, it used to be 15 minutes. This change has created some confusion and disappointment among hourly employees.

3. APH reconsidered. APH (Average Per Hour) has been resurrected to life. Before, it was not seriously taken into consideration since it was not an effective basis pay rate since all employees (both auditors and supervisors) fall short of this scheme. But now, it is being seriouly reconsidered. To assess one's hourly rate, an auditor or Team Lead must undergo a speed-testing process and whatever is the speed is, that would be the hourly rate.

4. Pay cut. Yes, you heard me right. There were few remnants of old-time RGIS employees here at D411. These employees have been in the company for 8 to 17 years of employment. And their hourly rate were basically as a direct result of their loyalty.
Some of them get between $14.00 to over 16.00 per hour. Since most of these employees have "grown" with the company (you know what I mean), most of them could no longer cope up with the APH thing.

So the district has devised a plan that anybody that exceeds the hourly rate cap would get a pay cut.

Will you agree with these changes?

Crisis Management or Management in crisis?

Eva Beutel has finally stepped down from being an Area Manager to a Team Leader on the 3rd week of January. Among auditors, she was a notorious and disrespectful. But despite such false attribution,  she was nonetheless, among the more experienced managers in the district. Currently, she is being replaced by the newly promoted AM from Tacoma district. Her name is Shelley Wright. Shelley has been with the Tacoma district for many years as a Team Leader until her last promotion to AM. Her hardwork has paid off and as far as RM is concerned, she's the most willing to explore the muddy waters of D411.

Why did RM has to transport an AM from Tacoma where in fact there are more qualified people from the rank and file from the district? To be blunt, NOBODY dares to do it! RM has made several attempts to convince promote within the roster, but has proven to be unproductive. There is no other way but to import Shelley to our district.

One more thing: as of this writing, 2 more supervisors just stepped down. If RM will ignore about these massive exodus of resignations, the district and the management will eventually die naturally. The management is blind as far as being open  to suggestions and advice. So, where is that "open door policy" that he had promised when he assumed his position as the Regional Manager?

Was he doing a crisis management, or his is management in crisis?

Shape up or Ship out!

RM has announced a general leaders' meeting slated on December 10, 2007 at the Lynwood office. This is an end-year meeting where we normally discuss about how to be more efficient, more productive, and more committed for the year ahead.
But prior to the meeting, all leaders have received a letter from RM and the contents of the letter are basically about undivided commitment to the job, and an offer of resignation for everyone.
The latter has caused disappointments since RM made an option to everybody that "if after reading this letter and you opted to resign, I will find a replacement for you."
This single line has caused a lot of mixed reactions from everybody. Why do you offer resignations if those leaders do not intend to or do not have any reason to resign in the first place? What does RM mean "100%" commitment? Does he mean,

1. Finish your stores you are running (or counting if you were assigned to count a store) from the start to end?
2. Run all stores you are assigned to without ifs, buts, and whens, despite valid personal, medical, or emergency reasons on the part of supervisors?
3. Total commitment as if RGIS is the only job the supervisors have despite the fact that this job is both a part-time and a seasonal job?
4. RM demands unquestionable commitments from supervisors despite questionable motives behind the call.

If he meant #1:
It is a common knowledge that supervisors are EXPECTED to run stores assigned from the start to the end. But it is also true that it all depends on the committed time availability of supervisors. I know some supervisors could only work in a certain period say, 0600AM until 1300PM (6AM to 1PM). But what happen if the district has assigned a supervisor to run a store that goes beyond the time limit he or she has committed to work? Are we suppose to blame that supervisor if he needed to leave at the middle of his inventory since his time frame has ran out? Well, why would the district assigned the supervisor in the first place since the office and the scheduler know that this supervisor can only work on a limited time?
Supervisors honor commitments to run stores within the committed time availability. On the other hand, the office should also be committed to honor such availabilities so that there will be mutual respect and better working collaboration.
If he meant #2:
The office sends schedule mostly ahead of time. This will give leaders to make necessary changes against their respective schedules. We confirm our schedules on or before confirmation date. Once it is confirmed, each supervisor is assumed 100% responsibility of the stores being assigned. However, there will be instances where schedules couldn't be performed due to sick leave, short-noticed doctor's appointments, emergency situation, etc. Such changes will be acceptable as long as the cause is valid and reasonable as well. That's why schedulers should be quick to respond such immediate changes. And supervisors should notify such changes as early as possible.
If he meant #3:
All managers know that supervisors and auditors work is a part as well as seasonal job. Many supervisors and auditors as well have other commitments, jobs, and things to do other than counting. Our world does not revolve around RGIS like the earth revolves around the sun. If RM wants supervisors to work 100% of their time, then he should hire all supervisors in full time, with full benefits, permanently. Then RM has all the right to expect from leaders with 100% commitment, 100% effort and 100% above expectations. But while this job is a part-time job and a seasonal job as well, RM has no right to enforce and expect 100% commitment in time and energy among supervisors and auditors.
If he meant #4:
Before he expects others to commit to a job, RM should first commit himself to a genuine "open door policy", genuine commitment to real change, being a people person, being sensitive to the needs of his subordinates. I'd say that the call to "resign" was a miscalculated and a risky proposal. And should not have been proposed in the first place. That challenge has backfired:

• Since the start of RM's tenure on January 2007, there have been a dozen of resignations, terminations, and step downs. Just last month (January) alone, a total of 3 resignations and 3 step downs have transpired. Surprisingly, no replacements have been reported.
• Out of 6, only 1 has filled an AM position. Surprisingly, the AM position filled was not coming from within the rank and file of D411 but an importation from Tacoma district. It appears that nobody is willing to be an AM or TL although I know that a lot of candidates from within are qualified to be one.
• A call to commitment is intrinsic to the growth of a district but to question the commitment level of the leaders who have been committed to the district even prior to the arrival of RM and offering an alternative to resign is totally absurd and absolutely improper.

There have been no response by RM on the issues I have mentioned and there has been no action taken to stop the exodus of resignations among his leaders. RM should shape up now before its too late. Or he will be shipped out.

RM didn't bring the bacon home

IT was early November of 2007 when the annual RGIS general convention was held. This convention is very important to every RGIS district. It is also remarkable and memorable as well because, it is the time when districts that have excellent performance will be recognized. It is also the best time for District Managers and Regional Managers get recognition for job well done in their respective regions.

So, our DM and RM headed to this convention hoping that they could bring the bacon home. But to their dismay, our district did not get any recognition this year. In short, the bacon was gone. Our district's overall performance was BELOW RGIS expectations. And that was very disappointing. I am sure RM knew the factors that caused the failure of our district. As most of the local employees know, the district is facing a very volatile situation. One wrong step will cause the proverbial thin ice to break and expose the ugly face of monumental mismanagement.

If the district couldn't bring any favorable rating on the next convention, I predict that the entire district will be at the bottom of competition.

Survival of the Fittest!

RM's control of the District was marked with massive resignations, followed by loss of confidence among memberse towards the management. It is definitely commendable for the new RM to impress his Division Manager with changes, programs, incentives, etc. provided that such changes complement to the efficiency of the system and growth for the district as well. But if he makes a complete reversal of the current but effective system, such changes produce deleterious effects to the survival of district.

In the first 6 months alone, an unprecedented number of resignations had occured. A very competent Scheduler was fired. Barbie, the newly promoted AM has resigned due to overwork and fatigue. Another AM (Let's just call him Dave) also resigned and eventually worked for an airline manufacturer. Amanda, the most qualified Training Manager of the District has resigned! Another AAM from Tukwila Ms. Maureen, a hardworking AAM, was fired for no sufficient reason! Supervisor John B, Supervisor Chen, Supervisor Joni, and other very qualified people from the same District have resigned in a domino effect!

Supervisor Fernand also expressed his intention to step down since he is getting all the little stores and not getting the usual hours he had prior to his being a supervisor. Many candidates for the supervisory positions have expressed their intention to discontinue their training including Little Barbie, KMoore, Lhays, and some very good people from the Lynwood Office as well. All these happened in the first 6 months!

Why is these happening? Some, interpreted it as a power trip. There have been some friction between the Managers from the Tukwila office and the newly opened office at the Lynwood. Historically, the Tukwila office used to be the main office and the Lynwood office used to be only a satellite office. But RM has reversed the system and made the Lynwood as the main office instead. With changing of the seat of power, it created a power shift and power control. The Lynwood managers appeared to have won the control. And that created some friction.

So, in order for the Tukwila office does not experience an imminent extinction, and impending power outage (literally and figuratively!), RM has decided to sent Manager Brian to Tukwila, which is currently inhabited by the lone survivor Manager Eva.

Did the district gained any benefit from these changes? Definitely NOT! Did RM made the right decision? Nobody has agreed that he made a good decision. Except for few (at least 2 to be exact) people from Lynwood office who may have influenced the decision making of RM. Now, it has been proven that such decision has backfired with a debilitating aftermath!

In order for RM to put the district back on track, he assigned one AM to oversee the entire scheduling process. But such strategy has gained nothing but redundant store assignments, massive cancellations, wrong staffing of people, and a deteriorating scheduling process.

So, to save the scheduling from its premature demise, RM has decided to keep the original scheduling strategy to where it is used to be. After all those incidences of redundant store assignments , massive cancellations, wrong staffing of people, etc., he now realized that the original strategy is still the best and the most workable process. Is this a trial-and-error style of decision making, where RM randomly choose a strategy and if it proven to be non-doable, he would select the remaining option until he finally gets the right one? Trial and error is a non-directional, non-linear, and non-goal oriented type of decision making. And this is evident among managers without a solid sense of direction, undecisive, inexperience, and myopic leadeship.

The worst is, as of this writing, NOBODY has replaced yet those that he fired and those who have resigned from January last year! The current number of Managers at Tukwila is 2. Nothing has been added. The other 1 might resign pretty soon!

He could have avoided these, should he become more careful with his decisions, strong sense of brinkmanship, being a people person, excellent business acumen, and future sightedness.

Lessons learned:

When you are a new Manager assigned or take control of a new district, ANALYZE the situation first. MAKE positive yet careful changes one step at a time. DO NOT OVERHAUL an already effective and working system. Be SENSITIVE to your subordinates, be a people person. And most importantly, do not act like a superman if you are not! If you choose otherwise, you will lose your competitiveness and sooner or later, you will eventually extinct like an unfit flightless dodo doomed for eternal oblivion.

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.

Wecome aboard, Sir!

January 2007. The Division Head has finally assigned a new Regional Manager to fill in the vacated position. DM remains in-charge of the Tukwila and Lynwood offices respectively. But this new RM will be in-charged of all the local districts in Bellingham, Lynwood, Tukwila, Tacoma, and Vancouver.

The news about this new RM spread quickly among the D411 employees. Although there was hardly a solid information about the new Regional Manager, many of the District's employees expressed disbelief of the duration of his transfer. I know exactly what they meant since D411 experiences replacement of managers almost every year

It was a snowy and stormy winter day, I was scheduled to work the first QFC store of January 2007. When I arrived, it was already 6:15AM since the road going to Issaquah QFC was almost zero visibility. I knew that I would not be the only person to be late due to the harsh winter condition.

Eva, the Manager was there and still wondering and complaining where the half of the inventory crew has gone! (In case you didn't know, whether she lost half of the crew or has the full crew, she ALWAYS complain.) Later, she cautioned me that the Regional Manager IS at the store. Well, I was not surprised but rather interested in meeting him. Later, some more auditors started to show up. At break time, I finally met the RM. And I said, "Welcome Aboard, Sir! Nice to meet you" with a firm handshake.

I was not impressed, neither did I expressed optimism when I met him for the first time. It's been this way almost every year. RM's and DM's introduced themselves and several month later, they would be gone. My attitude was more of a wait-and-see. I have received a copy his new letter stuffed with my paycheck the day before the store. And in his letter to everybody, He introduced himself and his plans. One thing that strikes me was his so called "open-door" policy.

And in this open-door policy, he means that anybody has a direct access to him in his office. That means no red tape, no white tape, or anything like that. That means that all information is accessible thru him. That means there will be transparency in his management. That means an equal treatment will be given to anybody who might want to talk to him.

Some old timers were skeptical about this development but in my opinion, it sounded promising. The only thing that matters now is, "How does he translate these words into reality." Will he pass the litmus test? That is yet to be seen.

The Whitlarks have quit!

December 2006. Just days before the district's Christmas Party. I was doing a Saar's Marketplace whole store inventory when I received an unconfirmed report that our District Manager has finally quit. I was dumbfounded and local employees were utterly surprised about the news. Nobody had thought that this glorious district will eventually end soon with the resignation of the top management. And nobody had predicted that our DM will end his long-held career this way!

Finally, our DM has announced his resignation at the Christmas party. It was the biggest surprise of the party. I was sitting at the back, just being quiet and began to entertain the basic core of the issue: What prompted him to resign? After establishing the district as a formidable force to reckon, he simply abandoned this cause just like that? Reasons behind his resignation MUST be very compelling. Then I began to list some possible reasons:

1. I think that after serving RGIS for more than 40 long years, its was probably time for Ron to retire and have life of his own. He made sure that he gave a positive and lasting impression to D411 by making it as one of its glorious moments but with the resignation in mind. It was a graceful exit I thought. He made sure that it will be a legacy to leave the company. And it was probably one of the key points he may have pondered and seriously considered while he and his family went on a vacation in Colorado. I am sure it was not an easy decision to make.
2. Secondly, I think that its time for him to concentrate more on his family and his marriage. One of the persisiting reasons why a lot of married Area Managers, District Managers and Regional Managers quit OR step down is because of issues with family not being taken cared of, or lack of material and quality time with them. And Ron was not an exception.
3. Another possible issue was the fact that Jean, (Ron's wife) is having problems with her parents due to health issues. According to her, her parents need some care. 

He may have other reasons that I was not aware of. But whatever they are, it is none of my business. All I can say is that he made the district a better place to work for everybody.

The best year for D411!

The Whitlarks made a wonderful job of maintaining and surpassing RGIS' expectations. Ron was able to keep the District at the top. In fact, I could consider that for the last 16 months as being the DM, he made the district in its glorious moments in terms of profits, APH wise, great customer base, amazing team effort, high confidence in leadership, high retention rates for new hires, and excellent management skills.

I remember receiving at least 2 occasions of pay adjustments in a year, and I assumed that it applied as well to the rest of the employees in the district. It was his leadership that they took notice of my potential and capabilities of becoming a supervisor and began to encourage me to take some training. If this is the kind of leadership has for a district, it is really hard to say no to him.

It was November 2006. Ron announced that he may take a short vacation in December to visit some family and friends over in Denver, Colorado where most of Ron's wife folks live. They decided to spend some weeks and will come back just before our Christmas party.

But things have changed when the Whitlarks came back from their vacation.

The Whitlark Auditors

January 2005 was a fresh start for D411. The Regional Manager has negotiated the Whitlarks to take over the D411. But prior to accepting the position, Ron made some conditions to the Regional Manager about bringing in his wife to work with him, despite the fact that it is against the policy of RGIS to have husband and wife who are both in management positions, to work on the same District. RM couldn't do but to agree to Ron's request.

My observation was that the Whitlarks are actually a family of Auditors. Ron have been an RGIS auditor since his teenage years and he is now in his 50's! And he climbed the ladder of success until he finally became the District Manager of D411. And not only that, he will be the future Regional Manager pretty soon! His wife had been an Area Manager from D411 and then moved to another District, and finally back again to D411.

Most, if not all their children (most of them have their own family now) were RGIS auditors of D411! My initial impression was that this family is cool. I've met almost all of them and they seemed very cordial and people-oriented. Nice family indeed.

There is indeed very big difference between how Ron manage his District and treat his employees if I have to compare with Mr. SBT, the former DM. And I will tell you why.

D411 Terrible Manager quits!

It was December of 2004 when I learned that the District Manager is quitting. Remember that "vertically-challenged" guy that I mentioned in my previous blog? Well, yes his significant other has confirmed that Mr. SBT (Small But Terrible) has just quit his position due to some personal issues. But I suspected that it is job related. SBT was, in my opinion, is quitting due to mounting pressures he has into in the district. I could imagine him work 24/7, 365 days, with barely no day-offs.

When the whole District learned about this, most auditors and supervisors become very jubilant of his resignation! I was not surprised at all. They were telling me that he was rude, nasty, impolite, and hot-tempered. If I were in SBT's shoes, I would have acted pretty much the same. It is too much work, too much pressure, not enough rest, works 24/7, etc. But I think that he deserves a better life as well!

So the Regional Manager did is to look for somebody who could immediately take his place as soon as possible. January is fast approaching and it will be the start of the busiest months of the year. Good news is, just before the Christmas, The Regional Manager has announced that the Whitlarks will take his place.

Who were the Whitlarks?

The DM is small but terrible!

I'd been with RGIS for almost two months but I haven't met the District Manager assigned. Auditors don't normally go to the district office to work. Auditors go directly to store they are assigned to and meet there for the inventory. I was told that my District Manger was vertically-challenged as well as behaviorally-challenged as well. In short, he would be the guy that I won't even bother to meet for the rest of my life.

It was early part of Februay 2004. I was scheduled to do a warehouse inventory in Kent at 6am. I arrived at around 5:45am for that store. It was a typical average size clothing store. I went directly to the set up room located at one of the backrooms. In a moment, more auditors start coming in.

It was exactly 6am when an RGIS manager instructed all auditors to go to the salesfloor for a short breafing . He looked somewhat presentable with his long sleeve and a tie and I haven't seen this guy before. He was about 5'2", and 110 lb. His appearance exactly matched with the description that some auditors told me about how the District Manager looked like.

Then he began his speech. "Listen up folks, accuracy is our primary concern! that is the reason why we are chosen to conduct the inventory and not some other bunch of monkeys out there. We expect you to be accurate. No excuses. Anybody caught batching is fired. I don't want to hear anybody talking to each other because that interferes your accuracy. Anybody caught talking will be sent home."

This guy needed robots instead, that do not talk, that do not decide on their own to perform for his inventories. Not me.

Maybe he needed this: