I have a union, which gives me the right to 'bump' another technician with less seniority, or to accept another job within the company if it's available. Still...it's honestly a bit unsettling knowing that our big decisions are made by ivy-league business school graduates who don't have a clue about our job or our customers' needs, they only base decisions on a spreadsheet. For the record, I'm not bashing business schools. I myself am about to graduate from one. I just have a problem with the decisions being based on metrics alone.
What are metrics? I thought you'd never ask.
Metrics are statistics which bean-counters look at on a spreadsheet. They identify trends in productivity, down-time, lead-time, and other data. In a perfect world, a layman could analyze the information and see that we are understaffed. However, the flaw is that sometimes statistics will fool you. They can be very misleading.
For example, the other day, my productivity record showed that I completed 76% of my workload. That sounds not too good. In fact, if I were in a class with a 76% grade, I'd get a 'C'. Here's where metrics lose credibility with anyone who has sense. My work load included tickets and service orders from 5 offices, covering an area larger than anyone else's on my crew. Everyone else handles one office, maybe 2 or 3. The system automatically loaded everything in every office to my load sheet. So, although I finished more orders than anyone else that day, I still only completed 76% of what was loaded to me. Now, a bean-counter looking at a spreadsheet will note that my completion rate was lower than say, a guy with only 4 orders on his sheet, who got 100%. See how that works?
Second, metric analysis is designed to increase productivity by setting a standard on a curve. That means once everyone meets the quota or goal, then the standard shrinks. I tried explaining that to the union geniuses who went along with this when it was introduced, but had no success. It actually hurt us to go on this program. Now, if you don't make the quotas, you are threatened with discipline, and if you make the quotas, you hurt the crew by reducing expected lead-time. It's lose-lose for the network employees, win-win for management.
The bottom line is, we all face uncertainty now. This is due to fear associated with the economy, most of which is undue, tougher competition, more choices, and bad management practices. We may wonder what we can do in times like this. I will continue to seek God's guidance and presence throughout this ordeal, however long it lasts. I know intellectually that He is in control, but as a human my heart feels fear.
Fear of the unknown is completely normal. I tried to think of the last time I felt it, and it was when I was led to pull up the roots and move my family out of state. We knew in our hearts God was maneuvering us, but logically it didn't add up. I can tell you that the day we knew we were going to move here, I knew God was in control, but it didn't make it real easy. That night, I casually got up, walked to the restroom, and hurled like there was no tomorrow. It was stressful. Oftentimes, doing the right thing is not easy. Doing God's will is rarely a simple challenge, and almost never what we would have chosen if we were in charge.
I could make a whole blog about my testimony, which I will do, but for now let's just say that moving up here likely saved my wife's life. Right after we moved our pets out of the house and many of our belongings, the house burned just above our bedroom because of a freak electrical fire in the middle of the night. My wife has severe asthma, and sleeps like a rock. She most likely would have died while I was at work on the night shift.
Naturally, she was upset about the home damage, but thankfully we have good insurance, and that's what it is for. Professionals came through and made our house like new, and accomplished many things we were going to do before selling anyway. We ended up making more with the sale because of the additional work, even though there was a fire which we fully disclosed. God is good, and knows our needs before we do.
So let me encourage anyone who, like me, is facing fear and uncertainty. Maybe your job is in jeopardy, maybe you don't currently have a job, or you're worried about health, money, family, or other issues. God knows your needs. Still, I want to encourage you to pray to Him, and ask Him for clarity. Ask him for forgiveness, and trust Him because He alone is in control.
Even as I am having difficulty sometimes submitting to Him, I want to assure anyone with doubts that submission is the only way. And if you haven't accepted Jesus into your heart, please do it right now. Ask him to forgive you, and come in and guide you. It could be a great decision that not only changes your life, but your afterlife for the better!
I also believe in intercessory prayer. So, if you have a need, drop me a message here or at my personal email huzdaman@yahoo.com, and I will pray for you. Also, I humbly ask anyone who reads this to pray for me and my family, because where two or more gather, amazing things can happen.
Stay strong!
Verses to remember
(By the way, this is for me, too!)
“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Proverbs 12:25, NIV).
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
