Corporate Rant

Please note I've had a horribly rough day. This and the fact that things have been festering with me about my job lately. This may sound very bitter, if it is, that's my current truth and where I am at.

I work for a Fortune 500 company. The current rank (according to CNN Money) is 18. Do the math, figure it out, but I am sure it doesn't vary from any other stockholder driven American corporation today.

As an employee that interfaces with current mid to large level corporations for said company, I am not sure what the actual focus is. We, as employees, have heard a lot about continuing to support our customers throughout the current changes we are going through. They say the commitment is customer's first. Great, I am all in. I am all for the customer and doing what is right for them, but at times you feel like you spin you wheels. You can't do anything. It seems to me, that certain corporate cultures doesn't empower employees to do what is best for the customer. Here is some thoughts that I have had swimming in my head.

• Empowerment- In order for your employee base to do what is best for the customer and put them first, they need the access and the tools to get things done. It seems that the more segmented that departments are, the less that gets done. It destroys teamwork. Operational departments that are there to serve the customer have matrices that are intended to better procedures, but it shifts the focus from doing what is right to what will better serve the results that are shown. In my humble opinion the right decision isn't a hard and fast rule, most of the time this is ultimately is a judgement call that is made by an employee. It's a HUMAN decision.
• I understand that the bottom line is important to you large corporate types. Stockholders rule. I get it. But for God's sakes quit saying you are a customer focused company when you keep laying off people. This is beyond "trimming the fat". This is contributing to a negative morale and corporate culture. Everyone that I have worked with lately, is running rapid. This makes people feel overwhelmed. When people feel overwhelmed they tend to become defensive. "It's not my problem". Give us the appropriate resources if you truly think the "Customer comes first". A lot of these people are great but overwhelmed. Any overwhelmed person can not make a healthy contribution to an environment. This distracts from a teamwork environment and makes it a "I'm too busy, it's someone elses problem" world.

OK, really only 2 long drawn out points, but this is the thing. I can't contribute when I am spinning my wheels. I can't promise to deliver when I know my support groups are overwhelmed and are going to criticize what what the customer may have done wrong, versus doing what it takes to fix the situation. This isn't their fault, they are simply too overwhelmed and as I stated above when folks are overwhelmed it leads to them becoming defensive.

Argh. I have used this blog to now vent. If you don't want to read my random ramblings that's fine, I get it. I just had to put it out there. It probably doesn't even make sense, but hey. I believe there is probably a total of 5 people that read this blog, so it won't much matter anyway.

I need either a severe attitude adjustment or a change. I'll let you know what I decide what direction I decide to take.

mmmm....Alpacas

As you can tell from DJ's post. We made it out to the Great Minnesota Get Together on Saturday. Besides eating approximately 10 thousand calories (and 50 bazillion points, this place is NOT points friendly) we were able to see some cute animals.

Meet my favorite:

I first came in touch (literally) with the Alpaca when I got into knitting. They produce a very soft fiber, as soft as cashmere (if not softer). I fell in love with the yarn first. Here is the yarn that I purchased from the farm that had these guys at the fair.


After seeing them on Saturday I did some research and decided that I want to buy an Alpaca. Here is some fun facts that I got from the web while digesting all my deep fried goodness on Sat night:

• Alpacas are gentile, docile and good around children
• They harvest fiber which is sheared once a year (generally in the springtime). The fiber they produce each year can produce 7-8 sweaters.
• Alpacas come in a myriad of natural colors: pure white, the most delicate fawns through to grey tones, from the lightest silver to a warm rose grey, and a true jet black. There are 22 recognized alpaca colors but the fleece also has the additional advantage of being readily dyed.
• Because alpacas and their ancestors are specially suited to the harsh environment of their Andean homeland, alpacas are generally healthy, easy to care for and remarkably disease free.
• Alpacas are very intelligent and easy to train. In just a few repetitions they will pick up and retain many behaviors such as accepting a halter, being led, lifting a foot for toe-nail trimming and loading in or out of a vehicle.
• Alpacas are used for breeding stock, fiber production, companion animals and pet therapy.
• They require less room than other livestock. (3 to 10 alpacas per acre depending on where you live).
• It has been shown that just watching them will lower your blood pressure.
  

There is also some investment facts out there. That got me thinking....raising Alpacas would be cool. But I love the city and want to live there...hmm... I did more reading and found out that you can board them!

Heck, even if I bought one (I saw a few for sale for about 3-5 grand). I could use the roving to make my own yarn. I've been wanting to learn to spin yarn anyway. I bought the yarn listed above for $45 for 200 yards. The price for the yarn is pretty hefty.

I have decided. Someday (not tomorrow, but someday) I want an Alpaca. Who wouldn't want one of these adorable creatures.