A ghost is haunting L-3 CSW. It is the ghost of American ingenuity and hard work that, for hundreds of years had penetrated the so-called "elite" through talent, perseverance, and gumption. L-3 CSW is a reflection of our nation at this point in time, a weak artificial aristocracy run by nepotists, cronies, and timid, risk-averse leaders. L-3 CSW has become a "union" of interconnected family-members, friends, and ideologues. No where has an emphasis been placed on serving the warriors who serve us. No where has an emphasis been placed on creating wealth for our shareholders through old-fashioned sweat and toil. This is a company in the throws of its demise. The people who lead it do so from an ivory tower in Manhattan, with little to no understanding of the people they have appointed to run CSW, and with a growing indifference to their lack of talent and their tepid results. L-3 CSW has become a languid jelly-fish, poisonous to those who touch it, slow to move. The self-perpetuation of CSW's leadership circle, its mistrust of talented young managers, and its blatant nepotism is polluting the oceans of America's defense infrastructure. As taxpayers, we should demand better from L-3 CSW. As employees, we should demand better from its leaders. It is time to stop blindly accepting their orders, and introduce a true meritocracy to its ranks. Let us fire the nepotists, let us shed ourselves of the floundering deadwood! To the Board of Directors: fire the CEO, fire his staff, and fire every CSW nepotist and his/her child/husband/wife/brother/son/daughter who is standing in the way of greatness. We serve those who serve others. Let us serve them better!
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Does L-3 have some kind of arrangement with University of Phoenix? Is it just me, or is there a lot of management with a U of Phoenix (or worse) degree?
No one gets on the executive staff without participating in the Annual Nepotist Orgy. If your spouse wants a promotion, you better bring her/him, too. Must be willing to perform vile acts while reciting electrical engineering equations and datalink history.
I miss Steve Hall...like I miss Monte Hall.
I agree with Maynard. This post needs to become the manifesto of L-3 CSW employees. It needs to be distributed within the halls of every building on campus as an "employee credo", an oath we hold ourselves to: to only hire and promote based on skill and competence. HR - take notice!
You are assuming the leaders in Corp are competent and didn't get to where they are using similar methods, they are bean counters, they will milk the company for every cent and then break it up and sell it to the primes. This is the same thing Romney did to get rich. But it is a standard MO in the industry. We have an aging product with no future support. Read between the lines. The best thing we can do is get out. I know it's hard to imagine leaving a place that you have worked for so long, pension, and outdated talent are not easy to overcome. The alternative is to watch these blood suckered kill any future y refusing to get out of the way. Lots of luck.
Best post of the whole site. Now, how to put your words in action? These words need greater visibility than what this shoddy little webpage allows. Go broader. Let it be done.
Urgggghhhhh.....this is the Ghost of Steve Hall......the only Ghost "haunting L-3 CSW" is me! As you celebrate the demise of L-3 CSW, don't forget to assign a "green dot" to its demise. Don't forget to report your MBTI as the reason for your dysfunction - I'm a ESTJ. If stopped between buildings F and C while I am on my run (more like a "hobble", actually), you will recite the definitions of all acronyms in CADRE, or you will face public admonishment in your next 6 AM CADRE class. Don't forget there is only one definition of Leadership (according to Steve Hall) and you will need to memorize it or you will not be allowed in my temple: "A set of attitudes, skills, actions , and behaviors which, when applied by one person to others, will produce consistent, long-term, organizational and personal successes, will enable others to accomplish more than they otherwise could have accomplished, and will engender in them a willingness to make significant sacrifices and not view the sacrifices as such." Whew.....that's a long definition for a pretty simple concept. But, then again, I'm the all-knowing, all-seeing genius from L-3 CSW's glory days, and I deserve a long definition for a simple idea.
I resemble that statement about "nepotism". Who needs a Harvard graduate when you can hire an Allen, Eiting, Deneris, Hollingsworth, Gibson, Gee, or Bernhisel? The only thing better than hiring and promoting second and third-generation L-3 employees, is firing them...
This post is from Camille Guth. She hates Nepotism. Hahaha
Guy Fuwkes you cannot abandon us now! Forward! Progress! IAVs!
Guy Fuwkes is in awe. Never were truer words written. Guy Fuwkes, having met his match on this forum, is fuwking retiring. Long live this new author. May he or she flourish for a thousand years...
"L-3 CSW has become a languid jelly-fish, poisonous to those who touch it, slow to move." Beautiful. Guy Fawkes, I challenge you to incorporate such imagery into your essays.
While it's a shame to waste your weekend thinking about that bull$hit we call work. It's a nice read for the $hitter.
This is the best "thread" I've ever read on this website. Well done, author.