Will Postal Service bosses go undercover in the future?
Filed under Labor
Tags: brainstorming, employee relations, feedback, management, officers
“Undercover Boss,” a CBS show that began airing in February, follows Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) as they go undercover to work primarily in lower-level positions in their own companies.
Beyond its entertainment value, the episodes have exposed a significant disconnect between senior management and employees.
While featured CEO’s have not recently, if ever, worked in entry-level positions in their companies; in contrast, the Postal Service has a proud history of promoting from within. Many of its current officers have carried mail, sold stamps, or worked in mail processing plants. Yet, based on the comments posted on Pushing the Envelope, there is a “suggested” disconnect between postal management and its employees. Postal employees often say their managers fail to communicate various corporate policies to them, fail to listen to their comments and suggestions, and fail to understand how corporate policies ultimately affect field operations.
Loading ... Loading ...If you think there is a disconnect between managers and employees at the Postal Service, what is the root cause? Can it be fixed?
Do you have any other thoughts or suggestions? We’d like to hear from you.
This topic is hosted by the OIG’s Risk Analysis Research Center (RARC).
51 Responses to “Will Postal Service bosses go undercover in the future?”
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Pages: « 6 5 [4] 3 2 1 » Show All
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March 15th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
I would like to add to the comments of DFM. You can respect the position. this does not mean you respect the man or woman holding that position. a leader is responsibile for everything the people under them do or fail to do. we have far to many in this organization accepting the paycheck but not the responsibility.(do they get away with it) YES- do we know why? YES- do you think Potter will fix it? NO- Is he holding anyone responsible? NO- anyone holding him responsibile? NO-ENOUGH SAID
March 15th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Ilike the comments by Maddy. There is serious disconnect between mgtand employees of the USPS. A few years ago ,I tried to have an intelligent diolague with the eastern area VP. I wanted to convey my thoughts on the faults I felt the LLV and FFV had. he did not want to listen. He even admitted that he had never even been inside either vehicle. yes, he received a promotion since then. Yes I gave up my efforts. Agood leader has to care and just because you are a USPS manager,you are not necessarily a good leader-even if you have been around for 30 years.
March 15th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
I know of one incoming Plant Manager who, dressed like a mailhandler, walked around the workroom floor to get an unfiltered idea of the culture in the plant he was to lead – a smart move I thought.
However, I don’t see the value in going “undercover”, only to see the disconnect that is apparent, and has been for some time in many workplaces. Anyone who has come from the ranks knows about the lack of trust in management that communicates the what , but doesn’t communicate the more difficult part – the why.
Real trust could be established through honest communication by managers who care about USPS and the people in it. No need to be undercover.
March 14th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Well its bad enough that upper management comes into your office and tells you how bad you are doing. They just come in and hammer you and tell you how horrible of a manager you are.
What we need is less MPOO’s and SR MPOO’s and all those idiots upstairs creating more and more useless programs. Let us get back to delivering the mail and helping our customers. Instead we have to say a stupid script to each and every customer that just annoys the customer. This stupid long script makes the long lines. 99% of the customers know what they want and do not need a long script. Yes the hazmat quetions are important – but asking them if they need a PO BOX in an office that has a long waiting list is just stupid.
The Mystery shop program is a joke – what are we paying them? And how do we know they are not making stuff up just to keep their jobs?? They are not going to give us 100% all the time even if we perform 100% – why would they give us a 100% they might lose their jobs if they gave us 100%- but the clerks are in fear of their jobs if they do not get 100% – this is a big waste of money.
How to save the PO shave off the top not the bottome -right now we have too many chiefs and not enough indians. Put someone on the back dock where the carriers drop off thier mail and weight and scan the packages – i bet 90% of the customers are cheating us by lying on how much the package really weights. And do away with the hidden postage – so we can see how much they really paid.
Stop the hundreds of reports that all tell us the same thing.
Let us workers show you how to save the post office – not the one in washington who know nothing about what is really going on.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Therre is a serious disconnect between management and employees of the Postal Service
Seriously, both parties lack trust, accountability, and flexibility in their relationship toward each other.
Both parties refuse to consider any attempt on their part to adapt to change in the relation ship, fearing they would loose control. Verbally challenging each other is the norm when communicating. Denying and fabricating is acceptable, leaving little room for integrity.
Both parties perceive each other as untrustworthy, thus being unapproachable. Instead of bein productive “team players” they are teams playing the game called “avoidance.”
Unfortunately, there is more to this disconnection but not enough space. I truly believe this disconnection can be fixed, but not through continuous acts of ranting, raving, and ridiculing.
For starters, both parties need to start evolving spontaneously – change their perceptions.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Here is some interesting information for those of you who think management positions HAVE NOT been cut….
USPS EMPLOYEE STATISTICS FROM 2000 – 2010
2000 2010 -/+ Percentage
USPS Headquarters 2279 2924 +28%
Inspector General 664 1151 +73%
USPS HEADQUARTERS TOTALS 2943 4075 +38.46%
USPS Field Support / Inspection Service (Field) 9756 7173 -26%
Postmasters (Installation Heads) 26121 23324 -11%
Supervisors / Managers 38797 27848 -28%
USPS SUPERVISORY TOTALS 64918 51172 -21.17%
Tech Personal 9959 5907 -41%
Clerks / Nurses 282147 161607 -43%
Mail Handlers 60851 49674 -18%
City Carriers 241079 197105 -18%
Motor Vehicle 9347 7614 -19%
Rural Carriers 57111 67434 +18%
Maintenance 42284 37513 -11%
Vehicle Maintenance 5546 4977 -12%
March 12th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Why would the bosses have to do something like that?
Given all of the IT architecture within the plant, the
various campus telecommunication assets, including legacy and wireless equipment, including video surveilance I think they’ve pretty much got a handle on employee observations. Right?
1 + 1 = 3 does not compute. Problem rank & file employees are not difficult to spot. But, problem managers play a whole different game of schrades….
Particulary those jokeying position just above front line manager, or 204B’s (sacrifical lambs)!
Include the oceans of crayon generated performance
reports, attendance records, grievance filings within
the various crafts, endless GAO reports combined with the “outside consultant studies”, not to mention the
shared intelligence reports by contract carriers, equipment vendors and the USPS annual fiscal reporting documentation. Look at the macro issues
because those are the most revealing.
I’m going to presume there is already a fleet of root cause specialists in the personnel compliment.
If not, this ship is listing more than I thought. Near capsize!!! Man the lifeboats!!! Retirees first with crafty upper management.
But, truly the single most important folks to hang out with are the very same folks that we all are!
THE CUSTOMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 11th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
So…thining outside the box means allowing a 30 minute overrun (20 to the route and 10 on the way back) without question? If you had a valid reason (like you stated) why r u so upset.
Can you imagine if EVERY route in the country ran over by 30 minutes a day without anyone asking why? How many THOUSANDS of hours jsut went unchecked?
Granted, 95% of the overages are warranted. But if I have to ask 100% of those carriers why they were over inorder to save on that 5% that is NOT…then I’ll do that everyday…..If I don’t you’ll then claim harrassment of the 5% that I do question regardless if they were screwing off or not.
When I first became a carrier I had a union steward come out to my route (yes deviated off her route) and “train me” on how to waste 2 to 3 minutes at each park location….by the end of the route and 15 Park Points later I was 45 minutes to an hour over…..and the bonus was management wouldn’t be able to see where I lost 45 minutes because I spread it out over the entire day…..so don’t tell me that carriers don’t need to be asked when the run over….You you have / or had a valid reason you would not care!!!!
I had a carrier once that complained everyday that his route was too long. I finally decided to go with him and he threw a fit about Trust and harrassment…well guess what I found…A 200 stop high rise that had been tore down the year before and was never reported, the carrier was taking all the mail for the high rise to the street and brining it back at the end of each day. yet he still had the guts to comlain that his route was too long and then question me when I was doing my job in trying to figure out why it was so long….Oh, and it was my fault when he was disciplined for it as well…..
March 10th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
OIG…why don’t you look within your own house and look at how many are creating jobs for themselves based on watching scans and mileage etc. Every morning in Phoenix the carriers are confronted with everything from taking 20 minutes to get to the first stop, taking an extra 10 minutes getting back and not making office time. The 20 minutes was spent delivering express before noon, the extra 10 in the afternoon could be anything and DOIS isn’t exact..it’s nuts and my supervisor spends at least an hour in the morning helping us make up excuses to send back to level 24′s sitting at the Plant. The reality is, it doesn’t matter and there’s nothing they can do. This company is going down and should go down. This neanderthal mentality hasn’t changed in 30 years and no one in mgmt can think outside the box. Thank God I’m getting out soon.
March 10th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
most carrier supervisors know exactly what are job entails. that is why they will do anything to keep from having to perform it. the cold, heat, dogs constant harrasment. who wants that. when u can sit on your ass and do the harrasing. there is no rhyme or reason for most of our supervisors being promoted other than the fact they will do anything to keep it. lie, create hostile work environments etc