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Digg it UP - Tales From the Corporate Frontlines: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Brainstorming is one of the oldest of the modern creative thinking techniques. Originally developed in 1941 by Alex F Osborn, it was first called "thinking up". Later Alex Osborn coined the term "Brainstorming". Brainstorming is primarily a technique of using ideas from a group of people to provide ongoing stimulation to that group in order to create more ideas. These ideas are then combined or developed into a practical answer to a challenge that was presented to the group at the beginn
One afternoon, as the after lunch service calls began and the "here today, gone tomorrow" chorus was gaining momentum, I saw a supervisor stroll nonchalantly among the cubicles, listening. Finally! This had to stop. He left the department abruptly, and 30 minutes later, we received an e-mail to be in our manager's office, first thing in the morning for a meeting.
<When you are being interviewed it is very important that you give out the right signals. These can be provided by your positive body language.Body language is a very important part of any communication. Body or non-verbal language might be defined as "what we say without saying anything". Much of the impact you create at interview is based on your non-verbal presentation. While words can deceive -- many people don't mean what they say or say what they mean -- body language is subconsc
This short story, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, is part of AlphaMeasure's compilation, Tales From the Corporate Frontlines. It illustrates how a group of employees who survived downsizing dealt with their own fear and uncertainty and received help from management to get back on track and move forward.
Anonymous Submission
I never thought much about job security until a few weeks ago, when our company announced a 15% reduction in workforce. That simple number translated into half of my department. It wasn't a total surprise-I work in an industry that has been losing jobs to overseas outsourcing for a few years now. Sooner or later, our company would have to cut to stay competitive.
The remaining half of the department operated in a fog. Supervisors tried to reorganize the workload. I spent my time and energy trying to figure out my new responsibilities and learn about the new customers added to my roster.
Then I began to overhear conversations. Cubicles are close, and when people speak loudly, well, you know... I heard the guy next to me speaking with one of his "new" customers, introducing himself. He was faced, as we all were, with the task of explaining what had happened to their prior reps. "Yes, gone" I heard him say bluntly. "Yes, I'll do what I can to serve you, but who knows how long I'll be here... I could be next. You know, here today, gone tomorrow."
For a week or so, those words reverberated around the department. It seemed that the remaining employees had to voice their fear. I felt as though somehow, if I voiced that fear to a customer, my termination would surely come to pass. I wondered what the customers thought about these conversations. Did they hang up and begin a search for back up suppliers in case our company folded suddenly? Did they assume that our prices would increase?
One afternoon, as the after lunch service calls began and the "here today, gone tomorrow" chorus was gaining momentum, I saw a supervisor stroll nonchalantly among the cubicles, listening. Finally! This had to stop. He left the department abruptly, and 30 minutes later, we received an e-mail to be in our manager's office, first thing in the morning for a meeting.
Machining refers to the basic process of cutting parts out of a work piece according to predetermined size and shape. Machining jobs are performed using different types of machining techniques such as laser machining, wire electrical discharge machining (EDM), Chemical etching machining, metal stamping machining, water jet machining, and abrasive water jet machining.Most of the machining jobs are controlled with the help of computer numeric control (CNC) software that guides the cutti
This short story, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, is part of AlphaMeasure's compilation, Tales From the Corporate Frontlines. It illustrates how a group of employees who survived downsizing dealt with their own fear and uncertainty and received help from management to get back on track and move forward.
Anonymous Submission
I never thought much about job security until a few weeks ago, when our company announced a 15% reduction in workforce. That simple number translated into half of my department. It wasn't a total surprise-I work in an industry that has been losing jobs to overseas outsourcing for a few years now. Sooner or later, our company would have to cut to stay competitive.
The remaining half of the department operated in a fog. Supervisors tried to reorganize the workload. I spent my time and energy trying to figure out my new responsibilities and learn about the new customers added to my roster.
Then I began to overhear conversations. Cubicles are close, and when people speak loudly, well, you know... I heard the guy next to me speaking with one of his "new" customers, introducing himself. He was faced, as we all were, with the task of explaining what had happened to their prior reps. "Yes, gone" I heard him say bluntly. "Yes, I'll do what I can to serve you, but who knows how long I'll be here... I could be next. You know, here today, gone tomorrow."
For a week or so, those words reverberated around the department. It seemed that the remaining employees had to voice their fear. I felt as though somehow, if I voiced that fear to a customer, my termination would surely come to pass. I wondered what the customers thought about these conversations. Did they hang up and begin a search for back up suppliers in case our company folded suddenly? Did they assume that our prices would increase?
One afternoon, as the after lunch service calls began and the "here today, gone tomorrow" chorus was gaining momentum, I saw a supervisor stroll nonchalantly among the cubicles, listening. Finally! This had to stop. He left the department abruptly, and 30 minutes later, we received an e-mail to be in our manager's office, first thing in the morning for a meeting.
<Developing a long-term customer relationship is very similar to dating. How you grab a prospect's attention is critical. Advertising, direct mail, public relations, or a website may be the first step towards starting the relationship, but don't let your marketing effort be another tacky pick-up line. What you say and how you say it will determine whether the prospect will be interested in starting a relationship or respectfully decline your offer to have a drink.Getting the prospect t
The remaining half of the department operated in a fog. Supervisors tried to reorganize the workload. I spent my time and energy trying to figure out my new responsibilities and learn about the new customers added to my roster.
Then I began to overhear conversations. Cubicles are close, and when people speak loudly, well, you know... I heard the guy next to me speaking with one of his "new" customers, introducing himself. He was faced, as we all were, with the task of explaining what had happened to their prior reps. "Yes, gone" I heard him say bluntly. "Yes, I'll do what I can to serve you, but who knows how long I'll be here... I could be next. You know, here today, gone tomorrow."
For a week or so, those words reverberated around the department. It seemed that the remaining employees had to voice their fear. I felt as though somehow, if I voiced that fear to a customer, my termination would surely come to pass. I wondered what the customers thought about these conversations. Did they hang up and begin a search for back up suppliers in case our company folded suddenly? Did they assume that our prices would increase?
One afternoon, as the after lunch service calls began and the "here today, gone tomorrow" chorus was gaining momentum, I saw a supervisor stroll nonchalantly among the cubicles, listening. Finally! This had to stop. He left the department abruptly, and 30 minutes later, we received an e-mail to be in our manager's office, first thing in the morning for a meeting.
<The process to go public via initial public offering (IPO) or Direct Public Offering (DPO) follows a prescribed path. While some elements can be handled simultaneously, there are a number of parts that must be done sequentially. As a result, it will often take between six and nine months for a private company to go public.We have highlighted the major time elements to provide a basic understanding of the process.1. The financial audit: Completing the financial audits is pe
For a week or so, those words reverberated around the department. It seemed that the remaining employees had to voice their fear. I felt as though somehow, if I voiced that fear to a customer, my termination would surely come to pass. I wondered what the customers thought about these conversations. Did they hang up and begin a search for back up suppliers in case our company folded suddenly? Did they assume that our prices would increase?
One afternoon, as the after lunch service calls began and the "here today, gone tomorrow" chorus was gaining momentum, I saw a supervisor stroll nonchalantly among the cubicles, listening. Finally! This had to stop. He left the department abruptly, and 30 minutes later, we received an e-mail to be in our manager's office, first thing in the morning for a meeting.
<Chapter 9 of 14 How to quickly make a short list.When compiling a list of potential celebrity endorsers, it is paramount that you quickly, accurately, and with stealth-like precision, weed out the non-prospects from the prospects. Once you narrow down the list, you can use some of the techniques and questions raised in the “Famous Index”. This process will enable you to make an educated, and well-thought-out decision.Our short list is basically the tally of who is left a
One afternoon, as the after lunch service calls began and the "here today, gone tomorrow" chorus was gaining momentum, I saw a supervisor stroll nonchalantly among the cubicles, listening. Finally! This had to stop. He left the department abruptly, and 30 minutes later, we received an e-mail to be in our manager's office, first thing in the morning for a meeting.
It was a short meeting, but it told us what we needed to know. The worst was over. There was no reason to think that there would be more layoffs, anytime soon. If anything, our positions were more secure now than they were before. Business appeared to be on the upswing, and it was more important than ever to keep our current customers happy. To do this, the here today, gone tomorrow conversations would have to end immediately, our manager said, with a twinkle in his eye. We'll get through this, he told us, but we needed everyone to be at top performance level.
It was a wonderful talk. It was the best he could do, as no one can promise permanent job security forever. But it was just enough to silence the chorus of the cynics and keep our customer base growing. I, for one, am extremely grateful.
© 2005 AlphaMeasure, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
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