Had our high school 45th reunion over the weekend.....and I kind of snapped at work t

[Floridatennisplayer]

What a great fun reunion. Friday night dinner etc at a cool brewery. Saturday night a cookout at a classmates home. Almost everyone is 63 years old. Hanging out with old friends, sharing stories, I felt the stress of work just evaporate. Until Sunday night and an email from our AVP wanting to spend Wednesday with me and review a bunch of stuff to put together.

RETIREMENT was the main subject talked about for sure! Some retired very early, some early...some are doing it now, some are waiting. Some have taken SS at 62, some are planning on 65, and some are going to wait. It’s like a picture of this place!

Interesting the different viewpoints. Some loved their careers, some hated their jobs, and some just tolerated it until the end.

Many that were or are in a long career of high end, high pressure sales like me .....seemed to be struggling the most toward the end stress wise. I think 40 years of stress, quotas, unhappy customers, begging for business, demanding management, fear of missing quota and losing your job has emotionally burnt us out.

We discussed that even though we have enough FU money .... the stress hasn’t changed. I guess, because we are still in the job.

I am in medical device sales. Calling on specialists, some of the smartest people on the planet. MegaCorp is never happy. If you had a record month, then next month should be even better...and it never ends.

Today I take him to see 3 physicians with me and he starts putting the hammer down on them! Needless to say they were not happy. One told him we use your product more than anyone else’s but after meeting you I think we will reevaluate that decision.

When we got back in my car he starts telling me how I need to get that doctor back on our side and a bunch other stupid things. That’s when I snapped....told him I’m only working 10 more months and I’m retiring. Get off my back! I don’t wanna hear any crap more from him or anybody else. It was quiet in the car the rest of the day..

 

[MichaelB]

That’s when I snapped....told him I’m only working 10 more months and I’m retiring. Get off my back! I don’t wanna hear any crap more from him or anybody else. It was quiet in the car the rest of the day..

Good luck. I think many here share your sentiment about megacorps pushing too hard.

From a previous post, you already had that date in mind. Any concern about letting the cat out of the bag this soon?

 

[Souschef]

 

[youbet]

Good luck. I think many here share your sentiment about megacorps pushing too hard.

This is why the modern career scenario of having few ties to your employer that influence you to stay on, even when unhappy, is superior to "back in the day" when pensions, retiree medical insurance, severance packages and other perks for long term retirees prevailed. I like it the new way! Receive all the compensation and benefits you're ever going to receive from Mega each paycheck (namely a salary, 401k match and current medical insurance). When you find yourself with greener pastures someplace else, there are zero strings holding you back from moving on. You take full responsibility for spending your time wherever you choose and have zero strings keeping you someplace you're unhappy.

 

[LOL!]

Thanks for sharing your story.

A company I worked for had a 90% market share. We were the dominant vendor in our field. Then someone decided that we needed to increase our market share to 180% of the market. Talk about self-deflating prophecies and failure. Of course, we knew it was a ridiculous request, so we didn't stress too much about it.

 

[Cut-Throat]

This is why the modern career scenario of having few ties to your employer that influence you to stay on, even when unhappy, is superior to "back in the day" when pensions, retiree medical insurance, severance packages and other perks for long term retirees prevailed. I like it the new way!

Hey, MegaCorp agrees with you.... And maybe a small percentage of Highly Skilled Workers... The Masses however are taking a beating. This is why a lot of the restaurant waiters that I see have Masters Degrees. But the Richest 1% have wealth that we have not seen since the late 1920s....

 

[Dtail]

Not the worst thing in the world. As long as it doesn't cause you to give up an unexpected well timed layoff/severance, I would think there might be some relief of sorts.

 

[MRG]

I'm hoping that helps your stress. I was in a pressure cooker and hated my last few years. I didn't have sales pressure but a new VP who knew nothing about software and he trusted people with a lot of experience in failing systems development projects. But you know
hey they had great credentials, went to the same private college as he did.

I planned on doing OMY my new VP, through his idiocy, helped me think about moving it up. When I talked with my Fidelity guy he asked why I thought 6-12 months really matter in a 35-40 year period? I gave my notice the next week.[emoji12]

 

[RunningBum]

When we got back in my car he starts telling me how I need to get that doctor back on our side and a bunch other stupid things. That’s when I snapped....told him I’m only working 10 more months and I’m retiring. Get off my back! I don’t wanna hear any crap more from him or anybody else. It was quiet in the car the rest of the day..

Maybe less than 10 months now! But that probably wouldn't be a bad thing. Don't be surprised if you are shown the door, if, right or wrong, the VP thinks someone else could do better.

 

[ncbill]

Maybe less than 10 months now! But that probably wouldn't be a bad thing. Don't be surprised if you are shown the door, if, right or wrong, the VP thinks someone else could do better.

Or the OP can show themselves the door.

My sister-in-law was planning to retire at the end of 2017.

Until work kept calling her to put out fires while she & hubby were on vacation that summer.

So she finally got fed up & told them "I'm not coming back!"

 

[PoorOldCountryBoy]

What a great fun reunion. Friday night dinner etc at a cool brewery. Saturday night a cookout at a classmates home. Almost everyone is 63 years old. Hanging out with old friends, sharing stories, I felt the stress of work just evaporate. Until Sunday night and an email from our AVP wanting to spend Wednesday with me and review a bunch of stuff to put together.

RETIREMENT was the main subject talked about for sure! Some retired very early, some early...some are doing it now, some are waiting. Some have taken SS at 62, some are planning on 65, and some are going to wait. It’s like a picture of this place!

Interesting the different viewpoints. Some loved their careers, some hated their jobs, and some just tolerated it until the end.

Many that were or are in a long career of high end, high pressure sales like me .....seemed to be struggling the most toward the end stress wise. I think 40 years of stress, quotas, unhappy customers, begging for business, demanding management, fear of missing quota and losing your job has emotionally burnt us out.

We discussed that even though we have enough FU money .... the stress hasn’t changed. I guess, because we are still in the job.

I am in medical device sales. Calling on specialists, some of the smartest people on the planet. MegaCorp is never happy. If you had a record month, then next month should be even better...and it never ends.

Today I take him to see 3 physicians with me and he starts putting the hammer down on them! Needless to say they were not happy. One told him we use your product more than anyone else’s but after meeting you I think we will reevaluate that decision.

When we got back in my car he starts telling me how I need to get that doctor back on our side and a bunch other stupid things. That’s when I snapped....told him I’m only working 10 more months and I’m retiring. Get off my back! I don’t wanna hear any crap more from him or anybody else. It was quiet in the car the rest of the day..

When you meet with the AVP this week, tell him you need a hand written apology to take to the client that was offended. If you can, get the client to send an email and forward to the AVP's superior. Yeah it may get you fired but you'll go out doing the right thing

 

[Dawg52]

I am in medical device sales. Calling on specialists, some of the smartest people on the planet. MegaCorp is never happy. If you had a record month, then next month should be even better...and it never ends.

Today I take him to see 3 physicians with me and he starts putting the hammer down on them! Needless to say they were not happy. One told him we use your product more than anyone else’s but after meeting you I think we will reevaluate that decision.

I used to hear similar stories with salesmen at my old company(diff industry). The sales manager would ride along and strut his stuff with a customer. Then the regular salesman spent several follow up visits trying to repair the damage. Amazing how some managers get into these positions.

 

[donheff]

When you meet with the AVP this week, tell him you need a hand written apology to take to the client that was offended. If you can, get the client to send an email and forward to the AVP's superior. Yeah it may get you fired but you'll go out doing the right thing

+1

 

[OldShooter]

+1

I agree, but the problem with guys like your AVP is that they are often totally clueless.

I had a sales guy working for me one time and our dept. director insisted on coming along on a visit to TRW, where we had multimillion $ projects. At the end of the visit one of the TRW guys pulled Bill aside and said: "Bill, please don't ever bring him back." The dept. director never knew and would not have believed it if he was told.

 

[Bir48die]

I have a zillion stories as a broker of bringing in manufacturers that were boneheads. Usually I had a great relationship with the buyers and would give them a warning prior to the call. They were gracious enough to give me an appointment.

In regards to a similar story, the president of our company decided that my broker was making too much money (not true) and arbitrarily decided that I needed to cut their compensation. My boss told me and I went ballistic. He said think on it over the weekend and come back with a proposal. I met with him Monday and said my proposal is to retire in 18 months.. and I did.

 

[gcgang]

Only working 10 more months? Should've been 10 more minutes.

 

[youbet]

Hey, MegaCorp agrees with you.... And maybe a small percentage of Highly Skilled Workers... The Masses however are taking a beating. This is why a lot of the restaurant waiters that I see have Masters Degrees. But the Richest 1% have wealth that we have not seen since the late 1920s....

Your response seems unrelated to my post, yet you quoted me. Was there some mistake?

 

[Cut-Throat]

Your response seems unrelated to my post, yet you quoted me. Was there some mistake?

no

 

[brett]

It is not just sales. I have been in sales and in general management.

Pressure is even greater in the latter. Every quarter there is pressure to meet sales goals, revenue goals, profit goals, expense goals, customer sat goals, headcount reduction...you name it. Then come YoY, QoQ revenue, sales, and profit growth. And in my case, we had currency to deal with.

I believe that a great deal of it is driven by the North American focus on stock price and quarterly results vs. long term thinking. No doubt our senior execs were motivated with stock options based on their performance. We certainly were at our level.

It is why I bailed at 58 and never looked back.

 

[Souschef]

It is not just sales. I have been in sales and in general management.

Pressure is even greater in the latter. Every quarter there is pressure to meet sales goals, revenue goals, profit goals, expense goals, customer sat goals, headcount reduction...you name it. Then come YoY, QoQ revenue, sales, and profit growth. And in my case, we had currency to deal with.

I believe that a great deal of it is driven by the North American focus on stock price and quarterly results vs. long term thinking. No doubt our senior execs were motivated with stock options based on their performance. We certainly were at our level.

It is why I bailed at 58 and never looked back.

I agree. I got sandbagged by a manager who retired after getting his bonus. In going through his files I found that he got a bonus if he shipped X dollars of parts. He shipped so much ahead of time that when I took over the well was dry.

 

[brett]

At one point I backed away from a Telco GM opportunity.

I would have been measured, goaled, and paid on profit first, then revenue.

The sales team were paid, goaled on revenue. And they were unionized.

I did not walk, I ran from it.

 

[Lukeee]

And it looks like the situations isn’t getting any better.

 

[Redbugdave]

I don't think I would have mentioned the 10 month retirement date. I would have just kept quiet and smiled. The more information a boss like that has on you, the more ammunition to be used against you.

 

[Floridatennisplayer]

I don't think I would have mentioned the 10 month retirement date. I would have just kept quiet and smiled. The more information a boss like that has on you, the more ammunition to be used against you.

Actually since I announced it, I would think I have the ammunition. They would be crazy to try and fire or force me out. “Judge, I gave the company a wonderful advanced notice to help them at my old age of 63 and look what they are trying to do to me.”

 

[RunningBum]

"Who are we going to give bonuses to this year?"
"Not the guy leaving in 10 months, that's for sure!"

"Here's a really lousy assignment, who do we give it to?"
"Give it to the guy leaving in 10 months!"

And so on.

OTOH, maybe the VP will just leave you alone, and your last 10 months will be peaceful and enjoyable. Could go either way.