Sigh. Change is.... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

ramonajim · #1 10-23-2013, 06:22 PM

.... unsettling.

6 of my 7 minions (and me) are about to be impacted by a physical move. 700+ headcount staff in MD is now ~ 200 or so, makes NO sense to maintain the current footprint.... but Upper Management has, in their infinite wisdom, decided that we're to stay all hush hush until "everything is finalized."

Meanwhile, we've got Suits getting guided tours of the building, people who were moved from offices to cubes a couple months ago being asked "do you really need two monitors?"

Ranks up there among the most poorly kept "secrets" but we (managers) are supposed to stay bright and chipper and smiling even though everybody that works for us knows that SOMETHING is brewing.

If we'd just come out and say WE'RE MOVING. A MILE OR THREE OR EIGHT FROM HERE..... people would quit fussing and get the heck back to work.

spdrun · #2 10-23-2013, 06:30 PM

Why doesn't someone just drop the word that the move will be nearby and let scuttlebutt do its job? Wouldn't be too hard to reassure someone without getting caught.

Come to think of it, why does the company need to move at all? If you're in Fredneck, it's sufficiently close to DC that there has to be demand for office space. No chance you can split the space (within code requirements) and sublet say 50% of it?

(OK, maybe that won't work if you work at the Anthrax Lab at Fort Detrick.)

ramonajim · #3 10-23-2013, 06:46 PM

I'm in Frederick, office is in Germantown. Powers that be have been trying to sublet space for ~ a year. No bites. Demand for office space is a ruddy fickle thing. TONS of empty office space in the region, but new buildings going up every day (including one just across our parking lot).

kmaysob · #4 10-23-2013, 06:48 PM

thats how my company acts as well. everything is a damn secret.

spdrun · #5 10-23-2013, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramonajim

I'm in Frederick, office is in Germantown. Powers that be have been trying to sublet space for ~ a year. No bites. Demand for office space is a ruddy fickle thing. TONS of empty office space in the region, but new buildings going up every day (including one just across our parking lot).

Fun times -- looks like the area is setting itself up for a commercial property implosion if this continues. Then again, a lot of gov't agencies that are being cut back are actually centralizing functions in the DC area, so maybe it will work out with agencies or their contractors renting space. It will be for sure interesting to watch.

SwampYankee · #6 10-24-2013, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramonajim

.... unsettling.

6 of my 7 minions (and me) are about to be impacted by a physical move. 700+ headcount staff in MD is now ~ 200 or so, makes NO sense to maintain the current footprint.... but Upper Management has, in their infinite wisdom, decided that we're to stay all hush hush until "everything is finalized."

Meanwhile, we've got Suits getting guided tours of the building, people who were moved from offices to cubes a couple months ago being asked "do you really need two monitors?"

Ranks up there among the most poorly kept "secrets" but we (managers) are supposed to stay bright and chipper and smiling even though everybody that works for us knows that SOMETHING is brewing.

If we'd just come out and say WE'RE MOVING. A MILE OR THREE OR EIGHT FROM HERE..... people would quit fussing and get the heck back to work.

That's got to blow. I'd have a real tough time keeping a poker face. Good luck with it, Jim!

kerry · #7 10-24-2013, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

Why doesn't someone just drop the word that the move will be nearby and let scuttlebutt do its job? Wouldn't be too hard to reassure someone without getting caught.

Yep, that's it right there. Simple solution.

ramonajim · #8 10-24-2013, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spdrun

Why doesn't someone just drop the word that the move will be nearby and let scuttlebutt do its job? Wouldn't be too hard to reassure someone without getting caught.

Because for every one who's doing just that, there are 20 scaremongers who are whipping up the most outrageous BS.

And the BS works, because this is a location that has been trimmed by 2/3 in headcount, gone from all of two floors in one building plus two floors in the building next door down to part of the first floor of one building, and has had 4 VP's of Operations in the 5 years I've been here.

There are folks who've been in their jobs, in this building, under 4 different companies over the past 20+ years. Many have learned to roll with the changes, some panic.