Never again!

[Mitch Cronin]

Boy, I wish I could make this one "Pinned"... On my noggin! ....so I'd never forget!

1 down, 3 to go... and then, NEVER AGAIN!

"Acting" they call it... that's suckers language for soppy slugs like me who take pity on the managers who have to find someone to take their place while they're on holidays - else they can't get any flippin' holidays! - and lose their minds long enough to volunteer. Hell, I just wanna fix airplanes! All this political trash and answering for people who don't perform as expected, and things that go wrong that weren't supposed to go wrong... Trying to get people to do things... answering for people who didn't do things, trying to explain why people wouldn't do things... 3 more and then... NEVER AGAIN!

G-night folks. ...at least the AEF provides a place where I can bitch.

[Guest rattler]

Mitch, didn't you post a sim. thought last year? I bet your Manager appreciates you and the experience does allow you to see both sides of the "labor" issue. This will be handy if the new union ever takes wing and you stand for Union Rep/Shop Steward"

[deicer]

Mitch

Couldn't you see going into it that they don't want anyone that thinks? They just need a body to displace air so they can get time off.

Used to do it myself years ago, but gave it up when they took away any semblance of decision making on the frontline level. They just want you to carry a radio and pass along messages. Doesn't sound like a "Manager" to me, just an errandboy.

With them lowering the upgrade, and making you feel like you are incompetant, I propose this to you.....

Stick with what you do best!

Fix the birds in the safest and most timely and cost effective method you know.

There is no future for the foreseeable period to come as a frontline "Manager" in this corp.

Sad to say, but IMHO it's the truth.

We need more good men like you, doing what you do. Unfortunately, word on the ramp is that they "need" to hire anywhere up to another 40 mgrs is what I heard. Just what we need. Not enough equipment, not enough manpower to park flights, not enough agents to work the flights, BUT,,,,,

Boy do we need more MANAGERS to keep an eye on it

Sorry you're so disillusioned, but welcome to the AC way.

Iceman

[Mitch Cronin]

They just need a body to displace air so they can get time off.

I could believe that if that bloody phone would ever quit ringin'!

....I should have gone to bed, but my blood's still boiling... !

[Guest rattler]

One thing about being an acting Manager, it does give you an different look re some of your fellow employees that might come as a surprise. Imagine if that type of knowledge could be used to "upgrade" the situation and result in profit for the carrier and better wages for the employees....

(BY FELLOW EMPLOYEES, I DO MEAN BOTH UP AND DOWN THE FOOD CHAIN)

[deicer]

One thing about being an acting Manager, it does give you an different look re some of your fellow employees that might come as a surprise.  Imagine if that type of knowledge could be used to "upgrade" the situation and result in profit for the carrier and better wages for the employees....

(BY FELLOW EMPLOYEES, I DO MEAN BOTH UP AND DOWN THE FOOD CHAIN) 

Rattler

I couldn't agree with you more. The knowledge that I have gained through acting has allowed me to make not only my own work experience more enjoyable, but it has given me the tools to do my job more efficiently and to benefit the customer.

But enough about me.....

Most of the candidates that they pick for acting assignments are just Joes looking to get out of being on the job. The rest are trying to climb the food chain and see it as a starting block. And most of them need to be moved on, "if you know what I mean!" (Old ramp proverb: Those who can do, those who can't,,,,Act!)

The most unfortunate thing about the whole exercise is that there is no succession plan, no ongoing training, and especially, no developement of the future generation within the company. It is almost as if they have an attitude of "if you know as much as me, you can replace me, therefore I will hold on to my knowledge."

This is really sad. There are alot of intelligent people who would do a great job if properly promoted, yet it is the old boy network that discourages them and holds them from moving forward.

Never having met Mitch personally, from what I read here, he would make a great candidate for promotion from his views and dedication displayed. That is not what they are looking for. I don't see Mitch as a "Yes Man".

This is also the biggest anchor around the neck of the company which will keep it from moving forward. I hope that Milty will acknowledge this fact soon and make the neccessary changes to really turn Air Canada into a world class outfit.

Just my opinion.....

Iceman

[ccairspace]

"Acting" they call it... that's suckers language for soppy slugs like me who take pity on the managers who have to find someone to take their place while they're on holidays - else they can't get any flippin' holidays! - and lose their minds long enough to volunteer. Hell, I just wanna fix airplanes! 

You swallowed it again, didn't you Mitch...

...It is almost as if they have an attitude of "if you know as much as me, you can replace me, therefore I will hold on to my knowledge."

A friend of mine in the federal government once told me that managers there always hire two people if they need one more person to help in the department. That way, the two underlings spend all their time trying to one-up each other and leave the manager alone and safe in his/her position. There are just so, so, so many ways to manage badly!

...I don't see Mitch as a "Yes Man".

But deicer...he did say yes, now didn't he... (For the last time, of course. If he survives 3 more shifts that is...... at least until next summer.)

I would bet that Mitch's problem is that he tries and does do a really good job. Worst thing to do when you're "acting", because you don't really have the clout to make significant changes and you're never in the position long enough to see any follow through. Least stressful way to tough it out is commiserate, agree and never sign anything.

Good luck Mitch.

K

[Innuendo]

"A friend of mine in the federal government once told me that managers there always hire two people if they need one more person to help in the department. That way, the two underlings spend all their time trying to one-up each other and leave the manager alone and safe in his/her position. There are just so, so, so many ways to manage badly!"

That is lifted straight from "Parkinson's laws". (One of which is "Work expands to fill the time available for it", sound familiar?)

You might be able to get a copy of the book, it is amazing how many nails he hits on the head.

http://www.heretical.com/miscella/parkinsl.html

[ccairspace]

Innuendo,

I recognized it as Parkinson's Law back when he first told me, but what I found shocking was that it was actually practised... with my tax money! That was about 15-20 years ago, but he proceeded to name names and departments. It still nauseates me thinking about it.

The other law that applies to the above thead, of course, is the Peter Principle. But that one is so depressing I'll leave it to someone else to discuss.

K

[Innuendo]

One of the things Parkinson outlined in his book was the change over the years, in the ratio of the number of sharp end fighting men in the military, to the size of the supporting beaurocracy. He gave this as an example of the ever increasing growth of officialdom compared to those who actually do the work. I think he used the Royal Navy to illustrate his hypothesis but the point he makes is uncanny in the way it seems to work out today.

Another example of the beaurocrat at work was the committee discussing the approval of millions of pounds for a very complex technical project (Nuclear power station I think) . The discussion and approval was over in a few minutes but when the same committe had to approve a new bicycle shed for employees it took all day. Proving that a committee can spend gazillions on something they barely understand but when it comes to a bicycle shed, now there is something that they know about and it must be debated fully.

[newgirl]

I totally agree with Iceman... whatever happened to the days where if you accepted an Acting assignment , then you spent a week learning the job with the person you were covering ?

While you were not expected to make any major decisions during that time , the rank and file were expected to honour any decisons you made. Nowadays not only do the rank and file not respect the acting managers but also the managers!

It seems to be the young eager beavers accepting the positions with almost no experience . Once in the job , they can't understand why no one will listen to their outlandish directions .

Whatever happened to the time when the station manager's suggestions were actually taken into account and acted upon? Or better yet , they implemented on their own accord with out fear of recriminations from the district manager?

In my job , CSA , my feeling is a passenger could punch you and the manager may or may not show up to find out what happened. If they do show up , the first question is "what did you do ? " not " what happened here?" No manager seems to back up the employee anymore. Oh what I would give for a manager to come to my defence if needed as in the past.

All the old standards seem to have changed in the last 10 years. But do 50% of the counter staff and flight attendants have to look like they've been on a binge the night before when they come to work? Can't they comb their hair or button up their collars? They look like slobs It reflects on how the public sees us.... to date we're not a LCC where casual is the dress code.

My theory is , if the outside of the apple looks good, then passengers won't notice how rotten the core is! It's all in the presentation to the public .

This is not meant to disparage any one group of employees but just to say in my 31years how things have changed and not for the good.

[ccairspace]

...the committee discussing the approval of millions of pounds for a very complex technical project (Nuclear power station I think) . The discussion and approval was over in a few minutes but when the same committe had to approve a new bicycle shed for employees it took all day. Proving that a committee can spend gazillions on something they barely understand but when it comes to a bicycle shed, now there is something that they know about and it must be debated fully. 

Yes it can, but it doesn't do so just because it can. The first discusssion was over in minutes because no one had an effing clue what was being discussed. No one wanted to look stupid in front everyone else, so no effective decision was made. Managerial one-up-manship requires that one doesn't ever say, "I don't know" in front of the boss or the competition (generally the guy in the office down the hall). Money was spent because no one could argue effectively not to spend it. Now, bicycle sheds, well who can't strut their stuff when discussing bicycle sheds? It would undoubtedly take all day because every one is now jockeying for position in the sandbox to look good in front of those very same people. Oh crikey, don't get me started.

I was just going to delete this and go to bed, but it is too important. I think that people who do a job that is inherently consequential (the discussion on the Alaska Airlines accident underscores some of those jobs...) have a responsibility to take management to task when they are speaking gobble-de-gook, overlooking important checks and balances or simply spending all day hiding from the fray. We lose space shuttles and aircraft, crew and passengers because people don't do it; we ultimately lose rights and freedoms.

...He gave this as an example of the ever increasing growth of officialdom compared to those who actually do the work.

Why?? Iceman mentionned earlier in the thread that the company "needs" to hire another 40 managers. Even if it is an exaggeration, why are more needed at all. Why not construct an intelligent argument to hire more of "those who do the work" and decrease the number in officialdom? Why not simply ask the question, "Pardon me?" each time someone says something unintelligible or plans to do something asssinine. And if the structure of the company doesn't allow it, then guess what?

Unions today are frequently portrayed as egocentric self-serving organizations, often plagued by infighting and the same one-up-manship that is present in the mangerial levels of a comany. Maybe it is time to change the emphasis to other-directed goals and begin expecting constructive input from the floor. If when "acting", the job is untenable for the "actor", then is probably untenable for the manger too, and a mind numbing job does not an imaginative motivated manager make. Maybe it could be changed? Push from the bottom for constructive change and perhaps it will happen.

Don't mean to sound so cranky. Must be an atmospheric pressure change or something. But it's probably just past time for bed.

Night.

K

[boestar]

Ask arount to your managers and see how many of them have had ANY sort of managerial training. Dealing with people is a skill and requires training. Quite possibly 90% of the managers I have had in the past have had no such training. Many were placed in management because they screwed up large on the floor. How nice for us to be run by screwups. AC was very bad for this in the past, I don't know what the situation is now. But pretty much ALL are guilty now.

B