Brandt Doing Disservice?
Re "Brandt On Leadership -- How To Run An Effective Meeting," September 2006.
I take it that your article was a stab at humor, at least I hope so. After reading it I just wanted to scream about the disservice you did to the readers and those who do not know better.
Agenda, background materials, process and follow-up are good outline topics but the details of your article are ridiculous. Instead of offering useful information you have perpetuated and promoted the BS that actually occurs in meetings. I now question why I read your publication. Certainly there has been enough suffering through meetings that do not have positive results. Our country, our industries, our companies and our employees need to understand the way a good and effective meeting is run. Do your readers and America a favor and provide guidelines that are actually useful.
Kirk C. Wiggins
Int'l sales manager
Continental Eagle Corp.
Prattville, Ala.
Brandt Replies:
The important question is not whether my column was intended as satire, tongue firmly planted in cheek, but if, in fact, the phrase "effective meeting" is an oxymoron.
If anybody out there has ever attended a meeting that seemed necessary or useful, please let me know.
John R. Brandt
[email protected]
Where's The Czar?
Re "Skills Shortages Remain Big Problem For Small Manufacturers," September 11, 2006.
Small- and medium- sized manufacturers can't get the skills they want because they pay less than large companies. I've said it in front of CEO forums and I will continue to repeat myself: If a worker can't make on the factory floor what they can make at Wal-Mart, guess where they will end up working? Yes, Wal-Mart.
Furthermore, the government (both state and federal) has this pseudo-compassion for manufacturing; it's for small- and medium-sized manufacturers. The problem with that is without government aid, large manufacturers can't compete globally, and our very core of expertise continues to be offshore produced. It's time for the U.S. government to put large manufacturing (domestic) on a level playing field as our global competitors and their respective governments.
It's time for fair trade! Subsidizing the small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies does very little in terms of growing local/regional community wealth, but rather it only provides wealth to a handful of small-business owners.
Where is our president-appointed Manufacturing Czar?
Joe Fao
owner
J P Fao Consulting
State College, Pa.
