Rich Uncle Pennybags
Today at work we were visited by Rich Uncle Pennybags. He's the CEO of the company, and since it's a privately owned company, he's the one holding the keys. Pennybags is on the list of richest Americans, and he came to our site in a limo from his limo company, probably picking him up from his jet. I doubt though that he ate lunch at our cafeteria, which the new catering company he also owns.
Over the last few days we were told that Rich Uncle Pennybags was coming, and that we should clean our work areas and wear good clothing today. i personally wore clothing that I might wear any other workday, a solid-color polo and khakis. I personally don't care for the idea of dressing up something just because a bigshot is coming. I'm more of a warts-and-all person who feels that these people should see things as the really are.
I have gotten this attitude by seeing too many scrambles to clean and kowtow to district managers when I worked for Mervyn's and Target back in the day. i remember area managers working many overtime hours to get ready, then trying to cut to bare minimum staffing afterwards to pay back for the overtime, therefore causing yet another mess that would need to be cleaned up.
At my last job, when I started the owner was in the building with us, so it was no surprise to see him walk by. when he passed away, the new CEO never really concerned himself with ever coming to the operations group, so there was no need for fuss.
Such was not the case out on The Ranch where Tuesday night they had extra crews making sure that all of the cubicles were aligned, the blinds were all closed, the trash cans and all were properly put away, and there was extra attention to clean windows, dust light fixtures, and whatever else. It made me wonder if Pennybags had a case of OCD.
Pennybags didn't show up until 4 o'clock on our floor, one of the last places he went, so you saw managers running around all day in their suits and ties. Several of them had presentations about their areas at the ready, with charts and graphs. From what I gather, this was going on all over the building. I'm sure if Pennybags really is a manager who drills down deep into what the divisions of his company are doing, he'd already seen all of this, but every manager needs to feel special.
Again, i was always the rebel in past jobs, sure, i might try to pump up my group, especially if we were particularly good at something, or to expose a little something that wasn't getting a lot of attention, but more often, I liked to ask questions about company direction and policy just to get it directly from the higher-ups mouth. Call me curious. You can also say that I'm never impressed with putting managers on pedestal.
I've had drirect managers who were worried about what would come out of my mouth, but I have never insulted a bigshot, and always treated them like they were human. Some took this better than others. I think some really like the fawning.
I didn't get to talk to Pennybags. I wasn't anywhere close to the path where he walked, but I could see him. He was short. He has a thick New England accent. He didn't talk to anyone on my level. that was fine, I haven't gotten adapted to the new company enough to have the questions I'll have when he visits next year!
Still, he's built an emprie on what his father started, so it's luck and good business sense that have contributed to his sucess. i can't deny what he's done, but again - still a human, just a rich one.
What's funny was before his arrival on the floor, the managers were running around making sure things were clean and tidy, even in areas where he would not trod. On another floor, Pennybags decided to take his tie off, and suddenly there was a message that all of the managers must take their ties off immediately. I suppose that one cannot be more formally dressed than the CEO.
Still, he came in without an entourage, or a bodyguard - something I was told that he has had in the past. He left quickly after visiting each presentation station for a few moments. Life, as it does, returned to normal after the visit from Rich Uncle Pennybags.
Over the last few days we were told that Rich Uncle Pennybags was coming, and that we should clean our work areas and wear good clothing today. i personally wore clothing that I might wear any other workday, a solid-color polo and khakis. I personally don't care for the idea of dressing up something just because a bigshot is coming. I'm more of a warts-and-all person who feels that these people should see things as the really are.
I have gotten this attitude by seeing too many scrambles to clean and kowtow to district managers when I worked for Mervyn's and Target back in the day. i remember area managers working many overtime hours to get ready, then trying to cut to bare minimum staffing afterwards to pay back for the overtime, therefore causing yet another mess that would need to be cleaned up.
At my last job, when I started the owner was in the building with us, so it was no surprise to see him walk by. when he passed away, the new CEO never really concerned himself with ever coming to the operations group, so there was no need for fuss.
Such was not the case out on The Ranch where Tuesday night they had extra crews making sure that all of the cubicles were aligned, the blinds were all closed, the trash cans and all were properly put away, and there was extra attention to clean windows, dust light fixtures, and whatever else. It made me wonder if Pennybags had a case of OCD.
Pennybags didn't show up until 4 o'clock on our floor, one of the last places he went, so you saw managers running around all day in their suits and ties. Several of them had presentations about their areas at the ready, with charts and graphs. From what I gather, this was going on all over the building. I'm sure if Pennybags really is a manager who drills down deep into what the divisions of his company are doing, he'd already seen all of this, but every manager needs to feel special.
Again, i was always the rebel in past jobs, sure, i might try to pump up my group, especially if we were particularly good at something, or to expose a little something that wasn't getting a lot of attention, but more often, I liked to ask questions about company direction and policy just to get it directly from the higher-ups mouth. Call me curious. You can also say that I'm never impressed with putting managers on pedestal.
I've had drirect managers who were worried about what would come out of my mouth, but I have never insulted a bigshot, and always treated them like they were human. Some took this better than others. I think some really like the fawning.
I didn't get to talk to Pennybags. I wasn't anywhere close to the path where he walked, but I could see him. He was short. He has a thick New England accent. He didn't talk to anyone on my level. that was fine, I haven't gotten adapted to the new company enough to have the questions I'll have when he visits next year!
Still, he's built an emprie on what his father started, so it's luck and good business sense that have contributed to his sucess. i can't deny what he's done, but again - still a human, just a rich one.
What's funny was before his arrival on the floor, the managers were running around making sure things were clean and tidy, even in areas where he would not trod. On another floor, Pennybags decided to take his tie off, and suddenly there was a message that all of the managers must take their ties off immediately. I suppose that one cannot be more formally dressed than the CEO.
Still, he came in without an entourage, or a bodyguard - something I was told that he has had in the past. He left quickly after visiting each presentation station for a few moments. Life, as it does, returned to normal after the visit from Rich Uncle Pennybags.