Jack Welch MBA?

Well, I guess maybe you should start writing some popular books, then. I think you could do that!

 

Oh my! I hate when that sort of thing happens. Next thing you know, you get emails too. The most invasive and creepy targeted ads I got was when I picked up a jewelry making kit at Michael’s. I considered giving it a try, but then I decided I would probably never do it so i put it back down. I never searched it online, never posted about it, never even talked about it. But for a few weeks I kept getting ads for the exact item I picked up in my hand for just a moment.

 

Wow! Even though it really happened, you could turn that into a prize-winning science-fiction story! Maybe there's an Asimov Award in it for you! Move over, Heinlein and Bradbury. New star in the SF Cosmos!

 

Michael's. ...I don't like their Canadian stores. US ones are great. It seems like their stock is mostly stuff the American stores couldn't sell. A lot of American chains that come here appear to send their inferior merchandise to their Canadian stores, figuring Canadians will buy anything, because consumers are completely unsophisticated and there's little choice here in the wild snowy wastes. Wrong!

And for some reason, the good service in the US stores doesn't happen here.

Michael's US
"Can I get the bunny design in this needlework? It's in their catalog."
Sure - I'll check the back. If not, we'll have one in Thursday for you. Just leave us your name."

Michael's Canada
"Can I get the bunny..."
"No. Just what we have here. That's the rule."

I think Target got their butts whipped that way and that's why they had to go home and write off about a billion dollars IIRC. The chief exec of Target Canada was fired and the American CEO abruptly resigned. I think that kind of day is coming for some other US based chain retailers who operate stores here. Even giant Krispy-Kreme had to abandon Canada. Some of these chains are NOT going to have a good time.

 

For a good dose of schadenfreude I always think about the lawyer with the last name Michael who opened a Michael's craft store at Michaels.ca and then started selling crafts. I found this out when my mom bought an engraver from him (confusing him for the real deal) and then when she went to return it to her local Michael's found out they weren't related.

The real Michael's offered him $100K to buy him out and he refused. Eventually he lost the domain name in arbitration (getting nothing for it) and may have even been assigned plaintiff's court costs. Overplayed his hand.

 

Lawyer learned some new lessons in law, then. Good.
"Mr. Michael, the Court finds you liable for $10K in Plaintiff's costs and awards you a Graduate Certificate. Bailiff, call the next case..."

 

Someone. After "Mill, Scam, Sham and Bubbeleh," I think Schadenfreude was his favourite word.

 

No - it's more like a famine, or possibly a Chapter 13 (Pauper's Oath Bankruptcy) version of the US. Many empty shelves, high cost for the odds and ends still left. Strangely, the high-end stores seem magically untouched by the plague. NO bargains ANYWHERE. Still, I prefer it. Better the devil you know, etc. Feel free not to like our PM if you want. I have to like him. He's shovelling out money and making me rich. My grandchildren will never even make a dint in the debt he's creating. But have you seen the "alternatives?" O-M-L!!!!

 

I hate to say it, but it really did seem like Canadians would buy anything. I worked in a clothing store in the mall in the late 90’s. (In Pennsylvania) On occasion, we would get bus tours in from Canada. We truly would go in the back room and pull out all the stuff we couldn’t sell. We’d put a rounder in front and by the end of the day, it was all gone.

 

I'm sure you're right. Bus tours = dedicated shoppers = captive audience. We're not all like that. And at least you guys were nice to them - something hard to get in the retail environment here at home. It figures. Maybe this is where Target an' them went wrong. Thinking we Canadians were all like the bus tour folks. Never, on our own turf.

 

I suspect part of the appeal was that there is no tax on clothing in Pennsylvania. It probably makes it seem like such a steal.

But, getting back to the MBA program, I think I am going to go with the Jack Welch MBA. When I run the numbers, figuring for my discount, employer reimbursement and how I would space it out, the cost wouldn’t be much different than HAU. And to be honest, the HAU program just doesn’t appeal to me. The next start date is in July, which is what I will plan for. What I like about it is the amount of time they advise per week (10 hours per course), and the length of papers isn’t too bad (typically 4-6 pages will do). And from what they said on a recent zoom call when I asked, most papers aren't too focused on APA. It’s more about understanding the content. I like that. It seems to be a time commitment I can fit in and a workload I can meet.

What is kind of ironic for me personally…. I have seen the criticism of Jack Welch relying on layoffs to be profitable. As as someone whose father actually worked at GE his entire working life, I KNOW that is true. My father was laid off at least once a year. Sometimes just a few weeks. Sometimes for a few months. Seniority had very little to do with it because he would have been working there for around 15-20 years in the 80’s and 90’s.

I am going to try to spend the next few months preparing and figuring out a routine to carve out 10 hours a week for study. Fingers crossed.

 

FWIW - In the latter years, after leaving GE, Jack changed his tune on a lot of his management practices and theories.

 

"Do as I say, not as I do (did)?" I can't trust that. Might well be done just to sell books. And courses, too.

 

Believe he was genuine. He dismantled a lot of the management practices he was famous for and acknowledged that a lot that he did wasn’t long term strategy or even good ideas. He really argued against some of the practices he ushered in, such as constantly removing low performers. The lean six sigma era he ushered in was great for organizational continuous improvement and arguably helped usher in our new era of data analytics though. Although his version is a far cry from Ohno and Shigeo’s, and often focused on concepts that they ardently opposed as detrimental in the long term.

There’s been fascinating arguments made that what really set GE apart was their ability to continuously build a competent and agile middle management structure. With that being key for how they’ve shifted focus and industries in such dramatic and often successful ways over the years.

 

You obviously know your subject. Thanks for the learning experience. I guess I relied on my emotions much too heavily. A mistake I frequently make.

I have never trusted large corporations in general, or their leaders, some of whom remind me of a stereotype - snake-oil Southern preachers. I understand the "artificial person" concept of a corporation and the reasons (liability etc) that make it necessary. However, a person being deemed "artificial" is not a compliment in my lexicon. I tend to be very careful if I have to deal with such a "person." I don't like "artificial" in persons. Hence a bit of my distrust. The rest of it came with knowledge - and some bit of experience of the underhanded things many large corporations are wont to do.

And when I see a well-known leader backtracking, as Mr Welch did in his post-retirement career, I get suspicious - and often stay that way. Thanks for explaining exactly what Mr. Welch changed. I now have a much better insight. You wrote well, as always.

 

McD's do all right. Cup of coffee and a muffin is every bit as good there - and a full dollar cheaper. I like that. I hear they're a better employer too. I like that even more.

I live within easy walking distance of the very first Tim's. 1964 I think. Haven't been inside in years. No plans to.

 

90s Canadian kids and earlier will remember when Tim Horton's was just seen as a coffee and donut chain and wasn't seen as conterminous with Canadian identity!

 

1950s Canadian kids and earlier will remember when there was no such thing as a coffee and donut chain. As I remember, they were the great franchising craze of the 60s, plus some independents. Most of them did not survive. Tim's did - for whatever reason. If it's all over your landscape - that's your identity.