Every day, I drive 45 minutes to Westbrook, spend 10 hours each day doing my job and more, and then go home to repeat the next day. We all have jobs to do and I work very hard to accomplish mine each day. While I don't agree with the constant layoffs and expense reductions I can understand it. The top line sales have to grow if the cuts are going to stop. If sales decline the only way to make the bottom line is to reduce expenses by the same amount, and the only expense they can cut is people. Everything else is fixed. RG and leadership team have been in place almost 2 years now, enough time to put their strategies in place to grow the top line. While they don't share this information during town halls, they must have plans on how to grow revenue that they have been working on. My job security and future is in their hands and I will continue to work as hard as I can doing my job responsibilities the best that I can. I hope the strategies that they have been working on for two years will start to pay off. We all have specific jobs to do, and we should all be accountable for the successful completion of them from the top to the bottom.
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That's very true. We are an Id and salary figure. They do not care if you had reviews with nearly perfect scores and are value winners. They don't care if you are a manager or director of a department, they just look at how expensive it is to keep you versus letting you go and hope you sign your rights away.
What makes you so certain the state of the stores wasn't communicated. These past 5 years, management has proven to be a callous collection of suits completely lacking in basic business skills. I'm pretty sure they were planning the next party, picnic, marketing event. They were too busy to listen.
I believe a lot of the issues at the store level stem from ineffective regionals and the HTs and BSs and JHs who gave zero f---s when they saw what was happening in stores. They could have reported 7 years ago that the stores were stressed and with few indians and fewer chiefs nothing was ever going to get done when you barely had people in the store actually working. I remember stores that had to close down just so the manager (the only employee left) could take lunch. How is that a way to run a business?? I pin all the blame squarely on the people (HT, JH, BS) who were in the stores and SAW but said nothing to Home Office. And where are they now? Still towing the line and drinking the kool aid....smh
I now make almost 50% more than what I did at Follett in 2014, and with considerably less stress. Follett is a pit of dispair and the only people trying to rally the troops at this point are those leaders trying to protect their own big salaries and potential bonuses/payouts. If you like abuse stick around. But the job market is pretty good for those willing to put themselves out there.
To the original poster: I had the same mentality. I worked 12 hour days regularly, never said no to the leadership, cancelled planned vacations for last minute department needs and cared way more than I should have in the name of Follett because I was working for what they use to be. What you have to realize is this company is now Follett in name only and is a dying carcass. My wake up call was brutal and I really hope you come out of your haze before it is to late. I was in the middle of another 12 hour day working offsite when I got a phone call, not even a face to face, that I was laid off. Done after 20 years with a few bucks and a resume writing service as my thank you for my years of service. I hope this message will help you to realize that you are two numbers to them: An employee ID number and a salary amount. I hope for you that you will update your resume and get out before you are forced out. It is a lot easier to get a job when you have one versus when you don't. The only regret I have is that I didn't get out myself as the job market is strong, money is better and I have much less stress.
RG was very clear at the last townhall. Follett is in a SLOG and it is not senior leaderships fault. It is those lowly employees, whack, whack, whack!!! And I was one of those chopped.
reading this comment made me fume. While I should not care anymore, being terminated was the biggest stab in the back especially when you were a long time employee and a shareholder. While one would think the option would be to keep the productive employees, unfortunately it is not. It is the lesser paid employee who has no knowledge and has to re invent the wheel. This will cost more in the long run , but simpletons do not see this only only have tactical approaches to the business versus a strategical acumen. Oh well. I have to agree with the others who were let go that we are better off now.
Declining enrollment may be part of it, but great leaders improvise, adapt and overcome. They grow the business. MLS was clear repeatedly. Amazon and Chegg ate Follett’s breakfast and lunch and were moving on to dinner. Follett is the new sears. Sales will continue to decline each semester and will decline at faster rates.
Declining sales? It'seems called declining enrollment. The metrics were there years ago. But, sadly, nobody in the Ivory tower had the foresight to plan for it. They thought market erosion was coming from customers leaving Follett, true to an extent. However, if enrollment is down, you don't have customers. Plan accordingly.
Hate to ask, how much will this vision cost us to do? And what will be the difference from what we are doing today? (Besides RM finally saying he did something that didn't come from those that were there before)
A million for Accenture to determine the vision for eFollett? Sounds like RM doesn't have a strategy yet. He's been here for 4 years and what has he done, besides spending money on things that aren't needed?
It is not just IT. RM just blew a cool million for Accenture to determine the vision for eFollett. Two years ago the company hired Kinsey to determine merchandising metrics.
I will work hard and do my job. That is who I am. However, this executive team does not have a clue. Successful teams build, power hungry executives destroy. Finding it harder everyday to follow these so called leaders. It is very clear what they think about all of those who are not in the club.
The biggest problem with Follett is wasted money, failed projects. There are people whose job is to throw millions at Infosys and Intersoft and get nothing in return. Then they try to recoup by bashing long time employees. It's destructive cycle and nobody appreciates it.
Do you think doing your job insulates you from abuse and job cuts? Implied in your arguments is if you do your job and others do their jobs all will eventually work out?
I saw excellent employees who worked tirelessly for the company for 15+ years get run out of here. They were abused out. They didn't get severance. This wasn't about bottom line cuts because the company has a flaccid sales model! Go ahead and work hard. You'd be smarter if you worked hard finding a new job with a company that doesn't abuse and cut.
This post reads like someone with Stockholm Syndrome. Working at Follett is working in a world of sh--. There is no benefit to keep working here. No one will be impressed at your long tenure at a company no one cares about outside the small world of books. Do yourself a favor and get your sh-- together and get out in the real world instead helping the idiots running the show collect one more bonus before the whole thing collapses.
The time is always right to do whats right - Martin Luther King
Step up Ray.
I do my job as well. I expect the board and RG to hold those responsible for increasing sales accountable. Just like I do accounting and do a great job constantly improving, there are employees and teams at Follett that are 100% responsible for sales increases and sales strategies. Many years of sales declines, maybe it is time to look at change? Eliminating other employees doesn't make sense as they are delivering results for their areas of responsibilities.
The original poster you are a complete and utter fool.
I don't typically post here, but I'm with OP. I work my a-- off because that's just who I am, and it's my reputation. I do it for my colleagues and my managers because they're doing the same for me. Maybe Follett will be around in a few years; and maybe it won't; but your reputation and professional network will. Do right by these two now, and it will be remembered. Better times are ahead...
For those of us in IT that are left I can say we agree with the sentiment but we are also able to observe what has been happening and cannot agree that hope is a good strategy. We've watched project after project fail or do absolutely nothing for the business. How's ORPOS, Retalon, WebCT, efollett, Courseworks, Wholesale modernization, etc. The only mystery at this point is why we still have the same business and technical execs in place. At this point we have to make the hard decision that the past is a sunk cost and think what is needed for the future. That is bringing back some of the execs from the previous TC team on the business, operations, and technical team to help stop the free fall. While they can't change the industry challenges they can guide us down a declining industry that can still turn a profit. It's time to set executive egos aside.