2015 VP/Masters Awards

So who is in the running in your Region?

 

A guy from Abbvie BRO

 

No one from the old alignment.

 

Texas talkers

 

David Berkowitz

 

Please none of you deserve a thing for dismal performance!

 

Apparently Mr. Vacant is in the running in our area. I see his name everywhere at the top of our scorecards. Can't wait to meet him so that I can develop similar successful skills and competencies.

 

A vacant territory where the rep has been on maternity leave for the past 10 months is leading my region. She will probably get the VP award to avoid a law suit and so we can make the cover of Working Mother magazine next year.

 

She is not eligible.

 

With all the 2014 cuts and realignments how can a proper decision be made? I venture to guess the pool will be limited to only those in a position for a determined amount of time. This kind of bs causes talent to leave around ye ole bonus time. Ctl's can easily identify talent in their group by asking themselves "who on my team do other companies want to cherry pick"? Reality shows the mom gals who bitch and complain get the VP awards to get them off the ctl's back. Numbers are always skewed but you cannot hide who has brains in field sales and I am not speaking of most lunches delivered. Any kind of common sense was lost post merger with a critical b school design flaw. SP sales reps became managers with no other experience or education. We have a big mess on our hands, wait and see who leaves after VP awards are inappropriately given out. Also bet 2014 LER's get most VP's as a sympathy vote for whaaaa! "They took my title away". Bring on the fake clapping and VP-Masters awards. We have a structural design flaw far beyond these annual pre-determined awards.

 

Larry Fine is the winner.

 

A grossly flawed system and will probably remain that way. Some of the best workers and most qualified get cut and apparently some conveniently cut. Most people recognize the politics behind it all. Who's given a prime spot, big title, who games it and remains unscathed, who busts their butts then gets pushed out? We all know numbers are skewed - prize and credit goes to one when it really took a few. One year up, the next down. If you're are caught on a tough year you get the prize of losing your job, but if you're privileged, you get a pardon.

 

Best thing to do is not worry about awards. There has never been a reliable way to measure worth as long as I have been a manager with this company. That is why they change the process each year and recycle procedures from past years. They have been looking for the holy grail of metrics since George Merck. Keep your nose clean and keep kicking the mule as the company transforms into an Oncology and Hep-C specialty company. You may get another 2 more years if you are not in those divisions.

 

Absolutely correct. I was a manager in multiple specialty groups for twenty plus years. Politics rule and political correctness rampant. Everyone who has ever witnessed the yearly farce knows the truth. X number of females, minorities, job shares and yes white males. The whole thing makes one want to puke!

 

It almost seems that it would be more efficient to eliminate the awards altogether. Merck must spend millions each year for a system that clearly is more frustrating than motivating. Maybe take half the budget and put that into merit increases and save the rest for the quarterly earnings reports.

 

Good idea! The awards used to motivate everyone, not only the winner. Those that did not get it one year course corrected so that they could win the next. The complexity of the metrics today and the distrust from not understanding the process leads to one person motivated ( the winner ) and 100's demotivated. Very good idea in the post above.

 

Distrusting the process? You called it, there are vacant territories outperforming those that are staffed. Yet time and time again ctl's sit around a table and argue for their choices. I say the district/region reps conduct an anonymous vote on who wins both masters and vp club. The dude or dudette in a previous post called it correct, issue awards to talent or future leaders. Giving awards to lifer reps who get by sends a clear message to the rest. Those with "talent" who are future leaders say F it and leave Mrk or scurry on to another division. Look, I can think about better things to do than hang with Riads jihad at an award trip but can predict with certainty who will walk the virtual stage. This is backass backwards, I know a few reps that should be sales Directors and ctl's that should be janitors. Quite sad that this company doesn't have the right people in the right places and the VP-Masters awards contribute to this charade.

 

So true, the impact and value of these awards is neutral at best. I have been on a trip and it was great. However, I do my job the same every day and every year regardless. The trips do not change my behavior. When the cards and reminder e-mails come out about the awards I quickly toss or delete because no action is required on my part. Might as well buy a lottery ticket. If I win, great, if not, then whatever and move on. It is amazing an outside consultant has not caught on to this program and made a recommendation to eliminate. However, maybe upper management likes the write-off and chance to take a trip on the MRK dime. At any rate, good luck and bon voyage to those who win.

 

This post is spot on. The manager meeting with rankings is a joke. Most of these folks were never good salespeople themselves yet they are selecting the winners and deciding on the merit raises etc. They pick their favorites that kiss their butts and then fight for them. The other folks then are put in the position of being on the chopping block when there is yet another round of layoffs.

 

Does anyone know if you win the trip, and you can't go, do you get anything, or are you just SOL? Have an outside chance of winning, but already have vacation plans. ( plus who really wants to go hang out with upper management on a beach where you have to suck your gut in all the time?!)