The Company Men
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 7:02 pmSaw this on Foxtel last night
Although fictitious, it was a poignant example of what has happened in the USA since the start of the GFC.
And, a glowing example of what is wrong in the big companies when they lay off 3,000 but the CEO is still the 16th biggest earner in the US and wants to push on with the new HQ at the expense of further jobs.
All star cast and I highly recommend it
It really was thought provoking
Having worked for multi-national companies most of my life, I've seen a lot of what they talk about.
I worked for a UK company for 18 years that was taken over by the "Barbarians at the Gate" and effectively taken over by a New York management.
We were subjected to a NY woman that resembled Mimi Bobeck (Drew Carey Show) who's job was to "cut waste"
She cut everything in sight regardless of profitability or relative cost.
She brought in a "global" rating based on NY so, for example, in Adelaide, you were only allowed so much sq. metres per office based upon New York.
People were made to fly, for example, from London to Australia, economy class, by the cheapest airline regardless of stopover.
I could go on.... but there is a punchline.........
I met this woman in London on one of my trips.
She was standing outside one of our office in Bishopsgate having a smoke.
I had a chat with her (brown nosing) but then her driver turned up
"OK, have to go back to HQ" she said
1 km away if the fat cow walked................
I thought of her last night
Although fictitious, it was a poignant example of what has happened in the USA since the start of the GFC.
And, a glowing example of what is wrong in the big companies when they lay off 3,000 but the CEO is still the 16th biggest earner in the US and wants to push on with the new HQ at the expense of further jobs.
All star cast and I highly recommend it
It really was thought provoking
Having worked for multi-national companies most of my life, I've seen a lot of what they talk about.
I worked for a UK company for 18 years that was taken over by the "Barbarians at the Gate" and effectively taken over by a New York management.
We were subjected to a NY woman that resembled Mimi Bobeck (Drew Carey Show) who's job was to "cut waste"
She cut everything in sight regardless of profitability or relative cost.
She brought in a "global" rating based on NY so, for example, in Adelaide, you were only allowed so much sq. metres per office based upon New York.
People were made to fly, for example, from London to Australia, economy class, by the cheapest airline regardless of stopover.
I could go on.... but there is a punchline.........
I met this woman in London on one of my trips.
She was standing outside one of our office in Bishopsgate having a smoke.
I had a chat with her (brown nosing) but then her driver turned up
"OK, have to go back to HQ" she said
1 km away if the fat cow walked................
I thought of her last night