District Manager's

[Rukn]

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What do these idiots actuality do? Just send out emails and annoy people at the stores?

Do they make more money than me?

 

[gwarm01]

District manager's what? Employees?

 

[NateRobinson]

"Idiots"? LOL. Somebody had a rough day.

It never fails. Let me guess. You're not doing your job properly. And by "your job", I mean doing the job the way YOUR company wants you to do it. Instead of making an account on an online forum and calling your boss an idiot, clearly because you're upset about something that he/she said, why don't you do your job properly, the way YOUR COMPANY wants you do to your job? That way, we won't seem like "idiots". Rather, we'll be happy that you're doing your job properly and actually be friendly with you.

Everytime we have a meeting, our number one agenda is to be nice and create good relationships with our employees. We don't begin our days with an objective to be a jackass. Rather, we begin the day hoping that all 20 stores function properly, while managing 20 manager egos, about 60 staff pharmacist egos and by proxy about 300 pharmacy technician egos. All while making sure that stores remain profitable, that employees don't abuse sick time, that managers and staff RPH's don't make mistake, meet key business metrics, properly fill out regulatory box information, prevent narcotic losses, pander to region managers, while dealing with customer complaints (PROBABLY because employees like YOU treat this job as just going to work to verify scripts and then going home rather than providing excellent patient care), and dealing with manager complaints about hours and "I don't have enough people on staff."

So yeah, before you log on to a forum and make jackass comments like "what do these idiots do all day? Just send emails." Why don't you take 5 minutes, sit back, find out why you're so angry, and come to work with a smile on your face and provide good patient service (which I guarantee you don't.)

Oh, and yeah, we do make more money than you. But it's not worth it. Dealing with pompous asses like yourself and most pharmacists who make $55-65 an hour, which is ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT more than what the majority of americans make, but still complain because they have to make 15 patient care phone calls a day makes it not worth it.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

but still complain because they have to make 15 patient care phone calls a day makes it not worth it.

So when I have to make 200 patient care calls by myself on the weekend...do I get to complain then?

------

Pharmacy supervisors are like anything else. Some are great (I think my boss is great) and really make your job easier. They make sure you get your vacation days off. They make sure you have a job saved with your name on it when your job is terminated and you are set to be laid off by corporate.

Some others are a bunch of bums. Some supervisors are absolutely complete humps. I know of one or two...

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

"Idiots"? LOL. Somebody had a rough day.

It never fails. Let me guess. You're not doing your job properly. And by "your job", I mean doing the job the way YOUR company wants you to do it. Instead of making an account on an online forum and calling your boss an idiot, clearly because you're upset about something that he/she said, why don't you do your job properly, the way YOUR COMPANY wants you do to your job? That way, we won't seem like "idiots". Rather, we'll be happy that you're doing your job properly and actually be friendly with you.

Everytime we have a meeting, our number one agenda is to be nice and create good relationships with our employees. We don't begin our days with an objective to be a jackass. Rather, we begin the day hoping that all 20 stores function properly, while managing 20 manager egos, about 60 staff pharmacist egos and by proxy about 300 pharmacy technician egos. All while making sure that stores remain profitable, that employees don't abuse sick time, that managers and staff RPH's don't make mistake, meet key business metrics, properly fill out regulatory box information, prevent narcotic losses, pander to region managers, while dealing with customer complaints (PROBABLY because employees like YOU treat this job as just going to work to verify scripts and then going home rather than providing excellent patient care), and dealing with manager complaints about hours and "I don't have enough people on staff."

So yeah, before you log on to a forum and make jackass comments like "what do these idiots do all day? Just send emails." Why don't you take 5 minutes, sit back, find out why you're so angry, and come to work with a smile on your face and provide good patient service (which I guarantee you don't.)

Oh, and yeah, we do make more money than you. But it's not worth it. Dealing with pompous asses like yourself and most pharmacists who make $55-65 an hour, which is ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT more than what the majority of americans make, but still complain because they have to make 15 patient care phone calls a day makes it not worth it.

 

[Rukn]

"Idiots"? LOL. Somebody had a rough day.

It never fails. Let me guess. You're not doing your job properly. And by "your job", I mean doing the job the way YOUR company wants you to do it. Instead of making an account on an online forum and calling your boss an idiot, clearly because you're upset about something that he/she said, why don't you do your job properly, the way YOUR COMPANY wants you do to your job? That way, we won't seem like "idiots". Rather, we'll be happy that you're doing your job properly and actually be friendly with you.

Everytime we have a meeting, our number one agenda is to be nice and create good relationships with our employees. We don't begin our days with an objective to be a jackass. Rather, we begin the day hoping that all 20 stores function properly, while managing 20 manager egos, about 60 staff pharmacist egos and by proxy about 300 pharmacy technician egos. All while making sure that stores remain profitable, that employees don't abuse sick time, that managers and staff RPH's don't make mistake, meet key business metrics, properly fill out regulatory box information, prevent narcotic losses, pander to region managers, while dealing with customer complaints (PROBABLY because employees like YOU treat this job as just going to work to verify scripts and then going home rather than providing excellent patient care), and dealing with manager complaints about hours and "I don't have enough people on staff."

So yeah, before you log on to a forum and make jackass comments like "what do these idiots do all day? Just send emails." Why don't you take 5 minutes, sit back, find out why you're so angry, and come to work with a smile on your face and provide good patient service (which I guarantee you don't.)

Oh, and yeah, we do make more money than you. But it's not worth it. Dealing with pompous asses like yourself and most pharmacists who make $55-65 an hour, which is ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT more than what the majority of americans make, but still complain because they have to make 15 patient care phone calls a day makes it not worth it.

calm down and control your pms

you just confirmed you don't actually do anything

one of the most useless middleman jobs there are

 

[Sine Cura]

Wasn't Nate twisting in the wind for years waiting for a field management position to open up?

Ultimately the pros have to outweigh the cons or you should leave the company. DMs and Rx sups are also harassed from above, too.

Currently I have "quotas" to deny CIIs and other controls and document them, quotas to document misfills (no, seriously), immunization quotas, MTM goals, input accuracy goals (god help you if you as a pharmacist input anything to help move things along), customer service goals, along with basic compliance tasks (no expired meds, return indates, paperwork), so the question for me is can I do enough to avoid scrutiny and being written up? If they bothered me that much, I would look for another job like the last time I quit CVS.

Personally I think it's funny there are all these goals when it seems an awful lot of Walmart pharmacies (I don't count OTC) actually lose money unless they get a lot of scripts billed to commercial insurance, at least in California due to pharmacist labor costs and terrible reimbursement from Medicaid MCOs...

 

[PikminOC]

Wasn't Nate twisting in the wind for years waiting for a field management position to open up?

Ultimately the pros have to outweigh the cons or you should leave the company. DMs and Rx sups are also harassed from above, too.

Currently I have "quotas" to deny CIIs and other controls and document them, quotas to document misfills (no, seriously), immunization quotas, MTM goals, input accuracy goals (god help you if you as a pharmacist input anything to help move things along), customer service goals, along with basic compliance tasks (no expired meds, return indates, paperwork), so the question for me is can I do enough to avoid scrutiny and being written up? If they bothered me that much, I would look for another job like the last time I quit CVS.

Personally I think it's funny there are all these goals when it seems an awful lot of Walmart pharmacies (I don't count OTC) actually lose money unless they get a lot of scripts billed to commercial insurance, at least in California due to pharmacist labor costs and terrible reimbursement from Medicaid MCOs...

Quotas to deny c2?

 

[Sine Cura]

Refusing to fill controls because of unresolvable red flags is a systematized process at Walmart. (There is a SOP on it.) You can look up refusal to fill counts for other stores and % controls filled.

You are supposed to document all refusal to fills and note the reasons for refusal. Documented evidence of refusals to fill is an indicator that Walmart pharmacists are practicing due diligence in ensuring that controlled substances are being dispensed for legitimate medical purposes. It also protects you in case some dick wants to make a complaint about your refusal.

There is no actual number (hence "quota" in scare quotes) but depending on your boss if you don't document enough you can get flak over it.

 

[NateRobinson]

calm down and control your pms

you just confirmed you don't actually do anything

one of the most useless middleman jobs there are

Well, its quite clear you're upset about something. Otherwise you wouldn't log onto the internet, call your boss an idiot and call his job useless.

"Don't do anything."

It's funny, because the people who make fun of field manager roles are the ones who would give their left nut up for a job as one. They just realize that its pretty much impossible for them to make it to that point so they decide to make fun of it instead.

 

[Lnsean]

Well, its quite clear you're upset about something. Otherwise you wouldn't log onto the internet, call your boss an idiot and call his job useless.

"Don't do anything."

It's funny, because the people who make fun of field manager roles are the ones who would give their left nut up for a job as one. They just realize that its pretty much impossible for them to make it to that point so they decide to make fun of it instead.

You flip flop so much dude. You were the most vocal CVS supporter on these here forums a few years ago and then you turned your back on them (probably because you didn't get some promotion) and now you're back promoting them again. I just don't know what to think anymore when you open your mouth.

 

[RPh Who]

Documented evidence of refusals to fill is an indicator that Walmart pharmacists are practicing due diligence in ensuring that controlled substances are being dispensed for legitimate medical purposes.

Sounds like you are in a market where the MHWD and/or RHWD is not a pharmacist. Its hard to believe, but these people somehow move up the chain in Walmart

 

[WVUPharm2007]

It's funny, because the people who make fun of field manager roles are the ones who would give their left nut up for a job as one. They just realize that its pretty much impossible for them to make it to that point so they decide to make fun of it instead.

I never really understood why people even want the job to begin with. You go to school for so long just to become a corporate retail middle manager? If I were offered the job, I'd instantly decline it. But for whatever reason, people go for it.

 

[Wickett]

I never really understood why people even want the job to begin with. You go to school for so long just to become a corporate retail middle manager? If I were offered the job, I'd instantly decline it. But for whatever reason, people go for it.

I could see maybe doing it in my 50s/if I am tired of being on my feet all day or generally burned out from the daily grind, but yea I don't get the people that jump into it quickly after graduating. At my company, our directors are pretty awesome, but I noticed most are really young/within 5 years of having graduated.

I did a management rotation in school, and the boredom of the job would kill me. Retail in general can get monotonous, but sitting in an office park reading emails and going to meetings looking at district stats would drive me nuts. I only just graduated and am starting out as a pharmacist, and my director has already made comments that indicate being eyed for future corporate gigs.

Even taking away the fact I went to all this school to just jump into a foreign office setting and not utilize most of what I learned, I'd worry about job security. Especially being a smaller company, who knows what will happen in a few years. If a company decides to trim the fat, is a pharmacy manager or a district manager/middle management going to get cut first?

I could only imagine trying to get a job after being years removed from actually working in a pharmacy, and good look moving laterally and jumping into another corporate job at another company.

 

[knight on horse]

Oh, and yeah, we do make more money than you. But it's not worth it. Dealing with pompous asses like yourself and most pharmacists who make $55-65 an hour, which is ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT more than what the majority of americans make, but still complain because they have to make 15 patient care phone calls a day makes it not worth it.

So how much do you get paid

 

[BMBiology]

So how much do you get paid

Nate is just a wannabe DM. He is an "emerging leader" who is stuck at the store level. I am telling you he doesn't have the political skill to move up.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[bp2313]

I'm curious if anyone knows any pharmacist gets promoted to become a market director of the front store at Wal-Mart? We see the opposite quite often (which only happens at wm) so I'm wondering about the other way around.

 

[PAtoPharm]

do DM's make significantly more than retail pharmacy managers?

 

[Momus]

Why do you need to move up at all if you make more money than your boss's boss?

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

do DM's make significantly more than retail pharmacy managers?

About 20% more base salary + 25% bonus + significant stock options / restricted stock (vested in 4 years) for national chains. A lot of the DM's only last 1-2 years, so the options/RSU's never pay out.

 

[PAtoPharm]

About 20% more base salary + 25% bonus + significant stock options / restricted stock (vested in 4 years) for national chains. A lot of the DM's only last 1-2 years, so the options/RSU's never pay out.

why do so many DMs only last 1-2 years? just curious

 

[lane one]

"Idiots"? LOL. Somebody had a rough day.

It never fails. Let me guess. You're not doing your job properly. And by "your job", I mean doing the job the way YOUR company wants you to do it. Instead of making an account on an online forum and calling your boss an idiot, clearly because you're upset about something that he/she said, why don't you do your job properly, the way YOUR COMPANY wants you do to your job? That way, we won't seem like "idiots". Rather, we'll be happy that you're doing your job properly and actually be friendly with you.

Everytime we have a meeting, our number one agenda is to be nice and create good relationships with our employees. We don't begin our days with an objective to be a jackass. Rather, we begin the day hoping that all 20 stores function properly, while managing 20 manager egos, about 60 staff pharmacist egos and by proxy about 300 pharmacy technician egos. All while making sure that stores remain profitable, that employees don't abuse sick time, that managers and staff RPH's don't make mistake, meet key business metrics, properly fill out regulatory box information, prevent narcotic losses, pander to region managers, while dealing with customer complaints (PROBABLY because employees like YOU treat this job as just going to work to verify scripts and then going home rather than providing excellent patient care), and dealing with manager complaints about hours and "I don't have enough people on staff."

So yeah, before you log on to a forum and make jackass comments like "what do these idiots do all day? Just send emails." Why don't you take 5 minutes, sit back, find out why you're so angry, and come to work with a smile on your face and provide good patient service (which I guarantee you don't.)

Oh, and yeah, we do make more money than you. But it's not worth it. Dealing with pompous asses like yourself and most pharmacists who make $55-65 an hour, which is ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT more than what the majority of americans make, but still complain because they have to make 15 patient care phone calls a day makes it not worth it.

You finally made it! Didn't take long to start throwing that "we" in there 😀.

 

[Sine Cura]

I'm curious if anyone knows any pharmacist gets promoted to become a market director of the front store at Wal-Mart? We see the opposite quite often (which only happens at wm) so I'm wondering about the other way around.

I'm sure there are examples of pharmacists becoming division 1 DM, like this guy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-adloo-61052514?trk=pub-pbmap.

Is it likely these days, unclear. You would have to overcome the lack of familiarity with D1 and it is unclear whether total compensation between MHWD and MM is similar (honestly I don't have concrete numbers; if so, it would be easier to do what you know).

 

[ldiot]

I'd never want to be a DM; these positions are usually revolving doors

 

[RPh Who]

it is unclear whether total compensation between MHWD and MM is similar.

If you type MIP in the Wire, you can see bonus structures at each level which give a bonus example predicated on a typical base salary

 

[PAtoPharm]

I'm sure there are examples of pharmacists becoming division 1 DM, like this guy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-adloo-61052514?trk=pub-pbmap.

Is it likely these days, unclear. You would have to overcome the lack of familiarity with D1 and it is unclear whether total compensation between MHWD and MM is similar (honestly I don't have concrete numbers; if so, it would be easier to do what you know).

what's the difference between a D1 and a regular DM? also, what do MHWD and MM stand for? just wondering

 

[lord999]

About 20% more base salary + 25% bonus + significant stock options / restricted stock (vested in 4 years) for national chains. A lot of the DM's only last 1-2 years, so the options/RSU's never pay out.

Ummm, there's a couple of things out there. I can't comment on pharmacy managers that are also general store managers (Walgreen's terminology prior to takeover was RxS - Pharmacist Supervisor and DM (District Manager): Eckerd's (may they rest in peace) was PDM - Pharmacist District Manager and General Store Division Manager GSDM).

Pharmacy first-level supervisors have more or less the following duties (which interact):
Explicit:
1. See to sales and revenue for the pharmacy (and possibly the OTC) - Low numbers or low growth depending on the district fires you
2. Staffing pharmacies - High expense per prescription fires you, incompetent human resources work (including getting the state's labor relations involved) fires you
3. Dealing with operational regulatory matters - Failure fires you
4. Avoiding regulatory, legal, and disciplinary matters both at the pharmacist reporting levels and ESPECIALLY the pharmacy level - Failure fires you, extreme failure will get the company to rat you out to the board as a scapegoat for their failures
5. Avoiding embarrassing corporate both on a personal or a company level - Failure fires you

Unspoken:
6. Not pissing off the second-level oversight which there are multiple bosses (Walgreens it was the Regional VP AND the Pharmacy Field Operations DVP) or losing a political fight for any reason - Failure fires you
7. Not staying too long or getting complacent. Walgreens (before takeover) would automatically fire the lowest performing RxS and DM's on Six Sigma criteria with seniority working against the numbers (you get some lenience your first year or two, and then it gets hard). It's like a grade curve that automatically fires the lowest performing oversight in a stack ranking system. Not only revenue and profit count, but low growth will also fire you in certain circumstances.

(Walgreens-Specific): Not maintaining an IL license in good standing is automatically a termination offense at the RxS and up (anyone remember why 😉 ). There also used to be a bonus given to RxM and Staff Pharmacists who maintained an IL license who did not practice in IL (I think it's abolished for new grads now).

Positive Adjustments To Retention:
1. Being on the state board
2. Being faculty above a without compensation agreement (universities have been known to pressure corporate on retaining favored go-betweens)

For all of this, the compensation is as given above by ChalupaBatman86, except that I'd add that at least for Walgreens, there are deferred compensation arrangements that pay off spectacularly if you manage to survive. In the old days, it also was a path to promote to Deerfield, but those Italians cleaned house there after the acquisition was inverted last year. I'm sure Greg Wasson never read Barbarians at the Gate or he would have never hired KKR to manage the M&A which resulted in his and most of the Deerfield staffs' ouster.

Yes, staff pharmacists on overtime make more, quite routinely, on any given year. However, if an RxS or a DM manage to stay in the game for long enough, they do win convincingly in the end. The problem is surviving considering the moral mazes involved. It's really not an easy job, and the RxS is more the messenger than the offender, although I know my fair share of horrible RxS's. Don't worry, what goes around does come around.

 

[maria1oh]

I heard there is a walgreens pharmacist union in illinois. If the pharmacists go on strike they will have the DMs fly out and help staff the stores.

 

[PAtoPharm]

Ummm, there's a couple of things out there. I can't comment on pharmacy managers that are also general store managers (Walgreen's terminology prior to takeover was RxS - Pharmacist Supervisor and DM (District Manager): Eckerd's (may they rest in peace) was PDM - Pharmacist District Manager and General Store Division Manager GSDM).

Pharmacy first-level supervisors have more or less the following duties (which interact):
Explicit:
1. See to sales and revenue for the pharmacy (and possibly the OTC) - Low numbers or low growth depending on the district fires you
2. Staffing pharmacies - High expense per prescription fires you, incompetent human resources work (including getting the state's labor relations involved) fires you
3. Dealing with operational regulatory matters - Failure fires you
4. Avoiding regulatory, legal, and disciplinary matters both at the pharmacist reporting levels and ESPECIALLY the pharmacy level - Failure fires you, extreme failure will get the company to rat you out to the board as a scapegoat for their failures
5. Avoiding embarrassing corporate both on a personal or a company level - Failure fires you

Unspoken:
6. Not pissing off the second-level oversight which there are multiple bosses (Walgreens it was the Regional VP AND the Pharmacy Field Operations DVP) or losing a political fight for any reason - Failure fires you
7. Not staying too long or getting complacent. Walgreens (before takeover) would automatically fire the lowest performing RxS and DM's on Six Sigma criteria with seniority working against the numbers (you get some lenience your first year or two, and then it gets hard). It's like a grade curve that automatically fires the lowest performing oversight in a stack ranking system. Not only revenue and profit count, but low growth will also fire you in certain circumstances.

(Walgreens-Specific): Not maintaining an IL license in good standing is automatically a termination offense at the RxS and up (anyone remember why 😉 ). There also used to be a bonus given to RxM and Staff Pharmacists who maintained an IL license who did not practice in IL (I think it's abolished for new grads now).

Positive Adjustments To Retention:
1. Being on the state board
2. Being faculty above a without compensation agreement (universities have been known to pressure corporate on retaining favored go-betweens)

For all of this, the compensation is as given above by ChalupaBatman86, except that I'd add that at least for Walgreens, there are deferred compensation arrangements that pay off spectacularly if you manage to survive. In the old days, it also was a path to promote to Deerfield, but those Italians cleaned house there after the acquisition was inverted last year. I'm sure Greg Wasson never read Barbarians at the Gate or he would have never hired KKR to manage the M&A which resulted in his and most of the Deerfield staffs' ouster.

Yes, staff pharmacists on overtime make more, quite routinely, on any given year. However, if an RxS or a DM manage to stay in the game for long enough, they do win convincingly in the end. The problem is surviving considering the moral mazes involved. It's really not an easy job, and the RxS is more the messenger than the offender, although I know my fair share of horrible RxS's. Don't worry, what goes around does come around.

In your opinion, is there a good way to tell if someone has "what it takes" to be a DM? does it mostly revolve around whether the person can handle high stress levels?

 

[Momus]

In your opinion, is there a good way to tell if someone has "what it takes" to be a DM? does it mostly revolve around whether the person can handle high stress levels?

No, kiss the most butts and your store looks good on paper.

 

[lord999]

In your opinion, is there a good way to tell if someone has "what it takes" to be a DM? does it mostly revolve around whether the person can handle high stress levels?

1. A basic ability to do pharmacy (doesn't have to be excellent, just not bad enough that it'd be notable to the staff). Preferably, the staff don't know who you are (transfer in from another geographic market) for reasons below.
2. The ability to be emotionally and intellectually violent to your staff (I don't mean physically beating them up, but working corporate means that you have to be able to keep the staff in line)
3. The ability to both understand, interpret, and execute on instructions that are explicitly given to you, and the underlying implicit motivations behind them. You spend a lot of time reading tea leaves and trying to discern motivations and no action is terribly straightforward.
4. An ego strong enough to accept violence against themselves without painting themselves at a target.
5. The ability to disguise their own motives or misdirect others onto what motives drive certain actions. If you become too predictable, either your staff or your oversight find no-win situations to put you in that take advantage of your weaknesses.
6. Have a strong personal self-preservation and survival instinct

Bonus (not necessary but quite useful):
7. Being exceptionally handsome as an older man (this does not apply to women for reasons having to do with the glass ceiling)
8. Gregarious / religious (Episcopal) /civic minded (Masonic) / public minded (university)
9. Not viewed as an obvious ambition or threat to oversight (related to 3 and 5)
10. Have a clear sense on what they want out of their career and to believe that it is a zero-sum game.

Basically, when I run classes for the DM's and RxS's, I normally introduce them to espionage (the Greene type not James Bond blowups) literature as an archetype for successful career management at the corporate level. The skills that it takes to be the protagonist in something like The Quiet American (the in-joke in the book is that the only "quiet American" is a dead one) are skills that are implicitly necessary to survive the routine corporate purges that happen in all the chains. You don't have enemies as worrisome as yourself, you have no allies, and you have a job to do. Staff only have to do their job and avoid doing things to jeopardize their work status. When you join corporate in that manner, I usually advise them that they should not think of the work as a job or a career, you need to think of it as a lifestyle to perform competently at it. You should read Moral Mazes Amazon product ASIN B00FF7IG0Y if you want a decent background on what is it like to work at a corporate level.


PS: I don't make money off that link. I deliberately signed off so as to not dox myself.

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

1. A basic ability to do pharmacy (doesn't have to be excellent, just not bad enough that it'd be notable to the staff). Preferably, the staff don't know who you are (transfer in from another geographic market) for reasons below.
2. The ability to be emotionally and intellectually violent to your staff (I don't mean physically beating them up, but working corporate means that you have to be able to keep the staff in line)
3. The ability to both understand, interpret, and execute on instructions that are explicitly given to you, and the underlying implicit motivations behind them. You spend a lot of time reading tea leaves and trying to discern motivations and no action is terribly straightforward.
4. An ego strong enough to accept violence against themselves without painting themselves at a target.
5. The ability to disguise their own motives or misdirect others onto what motives drive certain actions. If you become too predictable, either your staff or your oversight find no-win situations to put you in that take advantage of your weaknesses.
6. Have a strong personal self-preservation and survival instinct

Bonus (not necessary but quite useful):
7. Being exceptionally handsome as an older man (this does not apply to women for reasons having to do with the glass ceiling)
8. Gregarious / religious (Episcopal) /civic minded (Masonic) / public minded (university)
9. Not viewed as an obvious ambition or threat to oversight (related to 3 and 5)
10. Have a clear sense on what they want out of their career and to believe that it is a zero-sum game.

Basically, when I run classes for the DM's and RxS's, I normally introduce them to espionage (the Greene type not James Bond blowups) literature as an archetype for successful career management at the corporate level. The skills that it takes to be the protagonist in something like The Quiet American (the in-joke in the book is that the only "quiet American" is a dead one) are skills that are implicitly necessary to survive the routine corporate purges that happen in all the chains. You don't have enemies as worrisome as yourself, you have no allies, and you have a job to do. Staff only have to do their job and avoid doing things to jeopardize their work status. When you join corporate in that manner, I usually advise them that they should not think of the work as a job or a career, you need to think of it as a lifestyle to perform competently at it. You should read Moral Mazes Amazon product ASIN B00FF7IG0Y if you want a decent background on what is it like to work at a corporate level.


PS: I don't make money off that link. I deliberately signed off so as to not dox myself.

Are we former colleagues? This is scary how accurate it is. Take notes NateRobinson, WAGRXM and all you wannabes.