Private Sector Efficiency
So, for those of you who don't already know, I work as a developer for some big financial services company.
Today I had a conversation something like this:
Project manager: NetRunner, can you tell me the requirements for the work you're doing for client XYZ?
NetRunner: Don't worry about it, I already have what I need.
Project manager: Oh. Well, the manager of the QA department is asking me to put the requirements for you into the final requirements doc I'm giving him.
NetRunner: You realize he's pushing you for those requirements so that they're documented for me, don't you?
Project manager: Correct.
NetRunner: ... and you're asking me to document the requirements for you?
Project manager: He's going to chew me out if I don't give them to him.
Rude Fictional NetRunner: You want me to take time out of my day to do your job, so you can satisfy the mad QA guy who's only chewing you out because he's trying to stop you from doing exactly what you're doing right now? Go fuck yourself. Take notes next time you're on a requirements gathering call with a client!
Don't get me wrong, everyone has bad days, and I don't really blame the guy too much because he's been tossed into this situation without any training, and scarcely understands what I do, or what I need in the way of requirements.
But here's the thing, the reason why he doesn't know anything about what I do is because they laid off the entire team of PM's who used to work with my department. They didn't even bother to give them time to do any sort of cross training -- they were given their notices, and escorted out the building ASAP (for security reasons, naturally). This new group of PMs already had a full workload, and now they're way overloaded.
Why did they lay off the old group? Good question. The old group of PM's were productive people with a full slate of work. Our company's profits are through the roof, and we're seeing an uptick in client load due to bank consolidation. The only reason given for the layoffs was "changes" in the economy.
This seems to be what Atlases everywhere are doing -- laying people off right and left, whether they need to or not. The recession is the perfect excuse to try to thin out their payrolls, and squeeze the people who remain who are only willing to tolerate it because they're afraid of being without a job right now.
This, they would tell you, is simply driving efficiency. More units produced / lower employment costs = $$$
The goal here seems to be to drive hours worked up, and wages down. Gosh, what's it called when hours go all the way up, and wages go all the way down?
Apparently, it's called efficiency.
10 Comments
There are idiots in all sectors.
You mean they didn't send the jobs to India? Amazing they should be given a medal for that.
didn't know you were a developer. man i know and i know its bad when your "manager". has to cover his ass.
Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)
Give the guy a break. Work with him - so that he and you both are on the same team, and both understand the requirements
</business analyst - going to a BA Agile talk tomorrow >
>> ^gwiz665:
There are idiots in all sectors.
Yes, but only in the public sector do you see people take things like this and say "and this is the reason all government is incapable of doing anything right".
Just imagine if we turned the tables around on that -- I just proved that all of capitalism is hopelessly inefficient and is incapable of doing anything right.
Not only that, but it's clearly driving us down the road to serfdom as well.
Like dag said, the right answer is for me to act like an altruistic collectivist and give the guy a break (and BTW, I did), but then that's just like socialism, because I'm depriving him of the learning experience that goes with failure to carry out your responsibilities in life...
There's nothing efficient about corporations. Nothing. There's also nothing efficient about government. Nothing.
Successful small business entrepreneurs, however, are incredibly efficient. Always.
Now suck these balls.
Capitalism (minus failouts) has a way of weeding out the foolish and inefficient. Your company is filling a need for someone right now. When a leaner, more efficient company comes along...
Government is a necessary evil, and most of the time it's more evil than necessary.
>> ^blankfist:
There's nothing efficient about corporations. Nothing. There's also nothing efficient about government. Nothing.
Successful small business entrepreneurs, however, are incredibly efficient. Always.
Now suck these balls.
But yet large corporations rule the market in most established consumer sectors; why?
How do non-successful small business entrepreneurs factor into this?
>> ^quantumushroom:
Capitalism (minus failouts) has a way of weeding out the foolish and inefficient. Your company is filling a need for someone right now. When a leaner, more efficient company comes along...
Government is a necessary evil, and most of the time it's more evil than necessary.
As an example of your principal, please name IBM's last product that was profitable due to it's functionality edge over the competition.
>> ^Truckchase:
But yet large corporations rule the market in most established consumer sectors; why?
How do non-successful small business entrepreneurs factor into this?
Corporations exist because government gives them legitimacy. They also receive corporate welfare, subsidies, regulatory favors, enjoy franchise monopolies, etc. In rare occasions the government has even used eminent domain in their favor, i.e. Walmart.
So you tell me why corporations rule the marketplace and why small business entrepreneurs find it tough to compete.
>> ^blankfist:
Corporations exist because government gives them legitimacy. They also receive corporate welfare, subsidies, regulatory favors, enjoy franchise monopolies, etc. In rare occasions the government has even used eminent domain in their favor, i.e. Walmart.
So you tell me why corporations rule the marketplace and why small business entrepreneurs find it tough to compete.
Ah, absolutely true, but this bias enables those large businesses to stomp small competition out of the market with marketing and buyouts. The problem is the money in the entire system. The politicians and corporations have developed a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" partnership. The politicians funded by these large corporations then turn around and pass legislation favorable to the corporation in question. In this environment the worker class has no control, which is what the majority are rapidly becoming. Since government rules and regulations are still somewhat under our control via the democratic process, we need to join together to take the money out of politics and then elect competent leaders. If we solely vilify government and seek to destroy its power, we'll have no way to limit the government.
We can do this now through the democratic process if we join together before it's too late. While we may hold somewhat different political beliefs, we need to put those aside for now to focus on electing leaders whose sole platform is to take the money out of politics. When our voice is restored to the nation's government we can discuss other topics further in a civil manner.
Mind you, when I say money out of politics I mean we need to vote for controls to ensure money stays out of politics indefinitely. I would propose a smartly worded constitutional amendment.
I do want to encourage innovative business management, but when large corporations can wipe up their worker's conditions and poor customer service with advertising and political bribes, we need to lower the volume to make our voices heard. Internet discussion groups like this are one of our last remaining avenues for civil discussion of this nature. Let's work together to figure out what our priorities are.
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