Dumbest Things About Layoff Process

1. the selection process "is not about replacing poor performers it is about eliminatinating roles"

-they've made it very blunt: if a highly skilled analyst in department A gets cut because dept A no longer needs as many analysts, but department B has some poor performering analysts who were not initially targeted because their dept still needs analysts, they will not replace the poor performing analysts in dept B with the better performing analysts from dept A. The dept A analyts get laid off, dept B keeps its poor performing analysts, and GSK gets dumber on average. That sure sounds like a perscription for success. We did this last year during the layoffs, but I never saw it put so bluntly last year. [go see the pseudo Q&A for UK folks on the PCD 'changes' website.]

I guess no one in GSK actually has the guts to say "Sorry, Ian, but you make too many mistakes, your too slow, and you can't make decisions. Fiona from CD is a lot sharper than you are. So you're out. She's in. Cheers." Why is that so tough?

2. During his town hall meeting in RTP, Baldoni was asked something like "what can our site do to improve its chances of surving?" Baldoni answered something like "I'm not going to tell you what to do."

HEY BOZO! IT IS YOUR JOB TO TELL THE DEPTS THAT REPORT TO YOU WHAT TO DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL!!!!

Baldoni did go on to offer some generalities about 'intergrating things' to be more sucessful. Don't know if he was flashing back to calculus 101 on spouting some new mgt mumbo jumbo..

 

Actually, it is not his job....but don't take it personal....it is just business.

 

Respectfully disagree.

I would think (hope) that the Sr. VP of a large multi-national organization would be able to provide clear guidance as to how each of the different international sites reporting to him could strengthen their contribution to the company.

 

3. At his town hall meeting Baldoni said something like "there is no one in China who knows how to do Preclinical Development. We are going to have to teach them" But previously he had said that we weren't going to China to save costs, we going to China to tap into their expertise.

 

You don't need baldoni "calculus" to figure this one out...2008 job cuts in PCD and Research in the US and UK: >1000. New R&D jobs to be located in China within 3-5 years: up to 1000. Congratulations, your job just got offshored!

Glaxo to double China R&D staff
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/glaxo-to-double-china-r&d-staff/332900/

"...The company had said it aimed to employ up to 1,000 people at its research centre in Shanghai by 2010."

 

The question that was posed....dealt with what can be done to save the site.

Nothing in the CEO's position requires him to do that. In fact, the Board expects him to 'compete' his different divisions so that he gets the work for the 'cheapest.' That's it. End of story.

This is and always has been about money. How to do it for the cheapest~and the largest profit margin. If that means cutting depts/groups....his job is to do that. Not to rescue groups.

Your immediate site managers are responsible for making your group competitive. But, it is very hard when the standard of pay for workers in China are 1/3 (or more) below what 'we' get paid~~in a more developed working environment.

I understand your pain. But..again, don't take it personally--it is just business. Think WalMart-but in the pharmaceutical business now.

 

Fully agree. It is clearly just about being cheap. All of the talk about new ways of doing things is just B.S.

And I don't take it personally, I know its a business.

What I am beefing about here, is the absence of leadership within PCD You are correct, the sites are going to have to compete.

My question is, if Baldoni is not going to help sites compete, who does?

PCD is not setup on a 'site' basis. There is no PCD site head in Harlow, or Ware, or Philly, or RTP. And a large part of the sites' roles have already been dictated.

So my question remains, if Baldoni isn't providing leadership who is?

My answere is: no one.

The sites have the fates already determined, its just a matter of time to implement the strategy (which is the lowest cost strategy).

 

4. For selection purposes we are being put into pools based upon our departments, not based upon our actual experience / qualifications; however, we are already being told that post-selection, we will be expected to be flexible and work accross PCD regardless of the department we arre in

-many people in PCD have spend years in the various different departments that comprise PCD
-yet for selection purposes, our experience outside of our current dept is not being properly taken into account, instead we are being defined by our current dept
-we are told that it wouldn't be fair for us to 'compete' with incumbent in another department that is having less cuts than our dept

So it looks like flexibility is a one-way street at discretion of PCD mg

So it looks like competition is a bad thing? (Or is it mgt does not have the guts to displace poor performes with better performers from other depts)

Any way you slice it, PCD's talk is all B.S.

 

We're on the same page~~their talk is B.S.

I don't think competition is a bad thing but...when you can undercut cost of work by exporting jobs to a country that doesn't have the same environmental controls or quality controls--you can't compete.

Make the competition about skill sets, quality and flexibility--no one can out do us.


But-as for WalMart and WalMart is what you will get. Eventually, it will come around to them...just look at what has happened in the toy industry, pet food, candy---

It's coming. May take some time but--it is coming. Then watch out for the lawsuits.

 

John Baldoni is the biggest liar, jerk, creep, bastard, bully, ugly dogface son of a bitch, etc.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Agreed, Baldoni is a bullying jerk and almost everyone who reports to him is a bland, unimaginative, bureaurcratic, yes-man.

 

Agreed, Baldoni is a bullying jerk and almost everyone who reports to him is a bland, unimaginative, bureaurcratic, yes-man.

 

Why don't they get rid of that dummy Baldoni?

 

Kinda glad I left early with a package really. Sometimes, you have to remember that there ain't no godamn right to employment. If you don't like workin' at GSK, then leave and startup your own business. You're the boss, you can employ staff, you get the profits........... of course, sitting on your fanny moaning won't make you much. Cheers kids, I'm off to open another bubbly......

 

Hey, pass the bubbly...
If you don't like the business find something better

 

Over almost 30 years, I've never seen a poorer collective set of leaders as the senior managers (eg Baldoni and direct reports) in PCD. Knowing many of them personally, they are weak on science, weak on seeing today's industry's issues, continue to take up money wasting initiatives at the expense of true core (eg regulatory) competencies as this remains the Baldoni priority. It's nuts.....wasting this effort when the real goal should be new drugs. Otherwise, GSK will continue to shrink, or will have to be involved in another merger, takeover, buyout....on one side of the deal or the other. The future offers no other options.....on this one topic, Witty is right. With the direction provided by PCD, GSK is on the track to more likely eventually be dinner, rather than being the diner.

 

There are so many dumb things about the process, how do you know even where to begin?

Within PCD the people who are really capable of providing good, solid, pratical approaches to Project problems are fewer and fewer, while those who spout grandious objectives, provide colorful noninformative Powerpoint slides are in vastly greater number. For two years they spout "cross training" and "greater individual accountability", and now on reorganization, the outcome is to move functions to people who have never done the work before because of political wrangling and land grabbing between VPs, along with putting staff into closely defined functional boxes...so much for cross training and greater individual generalization in breadth. Groups are formed for "new initiatives", which predictably won't be able to be sustained for more than a few years. It's all such absolute hypocrisy.

One of the most amazing examples are the PCD VPs who have said publically that they do not intend to stay in their jobs for more than a few years (3 to 5). What a way to build loyalty in one's managment and through an organization! Why would anyone really decide to buy into the VP's "strategy" today (except simply to get through the waiting period), knowing they are not commited to a longer term to the job, even after the end of a few years they remain "stuck" with no where better to escape to. Such good management (NOT). Such smart strategic positioning (NOT).

The term bozo is an understatement.

 

The business of this business is to make money. It happens to do that by selling pharmaceuticals. If you can't develop new entities quick enough, you cut costs. It is just business. Mergers are just another way to get something quick, cut out the overlap and 'make money.'

Now, the money making is to pay the dividend to the share holders an not to employees. Well, that is except for the higher level management. The rest are all 'overhead.' Trimming of overhead is happening throughout industry. Send the job overseas where it can be done cheaper. Again, cutting costs.

They will bring in a consultant. This consultant will identify the overlap areas and recommend the cuts. This is done to avoid any potential lawsuit over age, sex or ethnic issues.

Don't take it personally, it is just business.

And everytime you buy something from overseas or vote to cut a teacher's, fireman's, policeman's or any unionworker's salary--you're just sealing your own demise.