Moderator: Soñadora
I'd like to own a smallish boatyard in a nice place but I need machinist and spray painting training first.
kimbottles wrote:I had actually considered getting a boat yard, but then I got to be friends with the two owners of CSR and I got a good look at what owning a boat yard is REALLY all about. Boat owners are tough customers to have......
LarryHoward wrote:kimbottles wrote:I had actually considered getting a boat yard, but then I got to be friends with the two owners of CSR and I got a good look at what owning a boat yard is REALLY all about. Boat owners are tough customers to have......
You think it's hard to deal with the State and Fed Environmental regulations as a waterfront homeowner. From what I see, you don;t want to deal with them as a businessman trying to eek out a living.
I do agree. Rick for President.
For me. I like my "transition to retirement" job but not always the management team at HQ that is entrenched, 20-30 year vets of the company and cut off from the business gene pool as far as policies and procedures. I elected to not move to Long Island and intentionally stay away from that role. Having run a large business division 3-4 times the size of this company, I find myself biting my tongue when I hear the "that's not how we do things" from folks who wonder why growth is slow and profitability down. Some small businesses are good because they are agile. Some represent a population cut off from business evolution. One day, I'll probably lose my temper and resign with prejudice. No pension or 401 matching from them so nothing to lose.
Soñadora wrote:I gotta tell you guys something.
I have fantasized about being POTUS. I know. Crazy, right? When guys like Colin Powel say 'No Fucking Way' when asked to run for president, you know it's not a job anyone with any credibility should take on.
It's a bit sad, really. To me, that position would be an ultimate expresion of your citizenship. The ultimate honor, recognition, and representation for all of us to be a steward of the Modern Age.
Unlikely that I'd be suitable, however. I'm fairly intolerent of low aptitude and helplessness. Combined with wry wit and a short attention span, I can't imagine the types of policies I'd put forth.
wait, I CAN imagine them. So yeah, not a good idea
SloopJonB wrote:Depends how much money you need. Most of the jobs I have planned for my next life don't really pay all that well.
I'd like to own a smallish boatyard in a nice place but I need machinist and spray painting training first.
Soñadora wrote:Interesting idea, Charlie, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about using Scantlings as my personal lead generator. I truly appreciate the friendship and camaraderie of everyone here and that's quite a reward in and of itself
The problem is that my company's IT infrastructure is under a a great deal of change. The kind of change that rivals plate tectonics. We are THE largest company of our type. Everyone on this board is probably at this very moment using something we produce. The company has been around since 1865 and the culture that grows from a company like that is a beast in and of itself. I work in a division of our company that trades energy - power, natural gas, petroleum as well as industrials such as steel and ocean transportation. The IT needs of this group is staggering. Our company is eliminating approx. 80% of its internal IT infrastructure. We're not just talking hardware but software development and service operations. It has all been outsourced to TCS (Tata Consulting Services). I have a small team of developers who are basically a SWAT team that does software repair when something breaks. The management layers several above me are playing musical chairs so I have no idea what our leadership structure looks like other than being told "it's all going to change, but keep doing what your doing. For now."
Our fiscal year end is May 31. Bonuses will be healthy as we've done well in spite of ourselves. But the undertone is that after the new financial year starts, we'll be badge flipped or let go completely. The uncertainty is maddening.
So, when I say I don't like my job, that's not entirely true. I actually love my job. But like that cute girl I liked in 8th grade, I'm afraid her family might be moving out of town. There are some potential opportunities in the company that may work out. These are basically the job I'm doing now. But I'd have to apply for it.
Sounds insane, doesn't it? But on principal, the company has a lot to offer. The challenges we're facing from an IT standpoint are the result of decades of discrete operations that are rife with inefficiencies. I don't approve of the methods we are using to mitigate these challenges. Sometimes the best way to make things better is to position yourself in a way that causes change rather than becoming a product of it.
But then I think back to my engineering days and how much fun it was to draw stuff then go down in the shop and build it. I wouldn't mind going back to that, but it would probably mean a 50% decrease in salary. With 2 kids entering college this year and next, that would be irresponsible.
wouldn't it???
BeauV wrote:
For me, I've found that I have to be learning something all the time or I get really grumpy. I also have learned, after a lot of mis-starts and misapplications of my own skills that what I really love is leading a team. So, after all these years I'm back running a small company. For me, and I don't expect this to transfer to anyone else at all, leading a team in a very difficult situation is heaven. It took me at least 12 jobs in five different industries over 45 years to figure this simple thing out. Now that I've got it figured out, I'm almost too damned old to do it well.
kimbottles wrote:Take your time Rick, don't run away from anything, run towards something.
Soñadora wrote:BV, you hit it. I am learning so much about this industry (energy) and it's fascinating. Rob McAlpine
The thing about change is that it's like turning soil. All the good nutrients and grubs and stuff get turned out.
I will give it a bit more time here. After FYE, things will be more clear.
I am highly marketable and could easily be in a new position tomorrow if that's what I was after, but we'll see how this goes.
Rob McAlpine wrote:Soñadora wrote:BV, you hit it. I am learning so much about this industry (energy) and it's fascinating. Rob McAlpine
The thing about change is that it's like turning soil. All the good nutrients and grubs and stuff get turned out.
I will give it a bit more time here. After FYE, things will be more clear.
I am highly marketable and could easily be in a new position tomorrow if that's what I was after, but we'll see how this goes.
What does this mean? Do you occasionally just gratuitously type my name?
Change can be traumatic for a lot of people. They get stuck into a comfortable routine, and an unknown future scares some folks.
Anyone who thinks there is security with big corporations is fooling themselves. The most security you will ever have is betting on yourself, your own work ethic and your own abilities. That said, it seems that the job itself isn't boring or dissatisfying, but the current uncertainty is stressful.
I've met you and your family Rick, you're a super smart guy with a great support system. No matter what happens, I am absolutely certain it will be great for you. Oh, and Carl says "hi".
I have to deal with an apparently disgruntled crew member, seems not to like being listed as "cook", and see if I can make him gruntled.
Rob McAlpine wrote:Anyone who thinks there is security with big corporations is fooling themselves. The most security you will ever have is betting on yourself, your own work ethic and your own abilities.
Rob McAlpine wrote:Could we please agree to keep this site free of politics?
Soñadora wrote:so, nobody else saw that squirrel?