No Country for Old Men

The reference to the movie "No Country for Old Men" is entirely intentional. I have known for some time that my experience in my industry is worthless to my employer, but this last Friday I learned that it is less than worthless, more a liability than an asset. 

This came about because an error that I made on a takeoff over a year ago just came to light. In fact, I was the one that found the error and instituted the process needed to correct the problem in the field and in the plant. This particular plan had been changed and modified numerous times by my boss and others in the department. The very issue that caused the problem was involved in these changes yet never corrected, in an entire year. Still I was called on the carpet and told that since I had the most experience there I should not have made this mistake. 

It was human error. There is no way to eradicate that entirely. It is possible to devise systems and procedures to catch these errors before they hit the field. I have lobbied for these procedures since my interview. It fell on deaf ears. I am not surprised that a mistake was made and that I was the one to make it. In spite of some people's opinion I am human. The startling fact is that it took a year to catch the error.

I expressed all this and more during the bitching out session. I left work Friday unsure if I would come back to work on Monday. I let my boss know this on the way out. I can retire now if I have to. I would rather work till my full retirement age of 66, but it's not essential to my well being. 

I have two concerns with the way this was handled.

• My boss threw me under the bus rather than explain to his boss how this happened and how much of the workload I was doing. Indeed he failed to mention his own involvement with the issue. He will never be an effective manager till he learns to train his people well, give them the tools they need to do job, and have their backs. At this point he's batting 333 at best. Good in baseball, not so good in business.

• My boss's boss literally pummeled me with my experience, yet they neither pay me for it nor listen to my advice. The company can't have it both ways. Either I am experienced and worth listening to, which means more authority, responsibility and pay or I am not. 

I am going in to work on Monday morning. I am not a quitter. If we can't come to terms I will give 2 weeks notice. Then the ball will be in their court. I'll find something to do for another year and a half.

Perhaps more change is the cards.

RT