SLIDO

[Shep69]

I think if anything can be learned, the last several years have been (from a management analysis perspective) a prime example of what NOT to do. And has been said will likely be used in textbooks some day of how to destroy a great organization.

Regardless of the hedging and speculation debacles (and I have no idea whether this is a form of money laundering or genuine losses), the airline has hit the pits of productivity decline while incurring cost increases. Most of this is due to incoherent rostering and lack of happy people where they need them (driven largely by the 'continuous reserve' concept which may SEEM to increase flexibility but in reality only collapses rosters--creating an unsolvable puzzle and more work for those overseeing rostering--while at the same time generating the inefficiencies of more peaks and valleys resulting in FTL timeout, increased sickness rates, and large overtime payments as well as from a customer perspective causing more unreliability in cancellations and delays).

AND interjecting uncertainty into the future. ARAPA could have been left well enough alone (as could have RPs and just about everything else). In fact, doing NOTHING would have resulted in a much more productive and happy work force than exists today. Everyone understands 'tough times' but these AREN'T 'tough times.' The airline biz is booming. People are IMHO being told falsehoods as an excuse to chisel away. Chiseling is a VERY bad thing to do; not unlike stiffing a waiter who actually DID go the extra mile for you--simply because you're a cheap bastage. Treating the help well is very important, and is a strong indicator of one's character.

Housing costs (and living costs) in HKG are high. No problem--plenty of opportunities for basings (and following the rules OF a base isn't particularly hard to do but you do have to do it). Yet these have been only used as a token presence (with perhaps an intent as a form of direct entry reserve if things get REALLY bad) and a fleeting carrot. Really COULD be a win-win. Yet somehow these have to be a win-lose to be viable ? WTF ?

In a functional time, contracts normally sit in the drawer with the players having only a vague knowledge of the specifics (knowing alot perhaps about a certain area that they need to in order to do their work, but for the most part being happy simply to show up for work, collect the money, and go home). There are OCCASIONAL glitches which demand mutual resolution--but these are usually worked out with a minimum of fuss. As it stands now, everyone knows about the minutia and every little detail and is basically using it as a club to hit each other with. And when provisions become too burdensome, they are simply ignored through interpretation or imposed away. Not unlike a messy divorce where husband and wife argue over the smallest things and manage to piss everything away in the process--including what might have been a wonderful relationship over many years (and rather than simply part ways over something that isn't working anymore do so filled with anger and resentment that didn't need to be there).

As a manager this is NOT what you want.

The problems and solutions have been well stated over and over. They are not listening and are unlikely to. Plan accordingly.

One works a great deal of one's life. At some point you have to figure out what you want out of life. If this ain't working for ya (or you can't make it work and be happy) it may be time to pull the pin. And if you're just getting started you might ask yourself do you REALLY want to face 20+ more years of this. For those riding it out and retiring soon or just getting started using the place to gain experience and ratings (not unlike a regional) with a plan to move on, more power to ya. Just be careful not to get suckered in and trapped thinking you can make things better than they are--or that future promises will actually come true. Everyone ELSE seems to be making money and booming, yet all we get is gloom and doom and proposed cuts. To me this seems insane.