I would have to say that the perfect example of excellence in an organization would be would be a non-profit organization. No other kind of organization represents so much along with their performance as an organization. Everyone works for the good of their consumer and at the same time they inspire other organizations to give back to the common good and through that they inspire many people. In a larger non-profit organization employees of the actual organization receive pay through fundraising dollars given to them by other organizations. St.Judes for instant is a great representation of such an excellent organization and through this excellence lives are being saved, as well as company's reputations are being bettered and after a long days work everyone associated with it can go home knowing they feel better about themselves now than when they first woke up that very morning.

Culture of Exellence

I would say an example of a culture of excellence could be an indian tribe. One reason is the way they were always rewarded for their tasks with status and respect. They were motivated from within, which you don't see often today, and they took their responsibilities seriously. Maybe thats because they would starve if they didn't hunt or gather crops, but I still think it is a good example. Also the raising of children was seen as a community thing. The entire village would spend time with a child teaching them the specific traits and skills that they knew. So, instead of just learning from their biological parents the children learned from everyone. It was like a shared knowledge between the village. I think this could be a culture of excellence because of the rewards and values system they had and also the community work and shared knowledge.

Egyptian Excellence

I believe that the embodiment of excellence lies in that of the Ancient Egyptians. The ability to build the statues and temples that they did shows their ability to weather the test of time.

This ability displays the passion they had to create things that would leave a lasting impression on the world led them to become the greatest architects in the world. Their excellence also lies in the fact they they built temples that can be seen from space. They did this in a time where there were no modern tools for pulling or levers. Once again... EXCELLENCE!

Another thing that leads me to believe that the egyptians were excellent was their organizational skills and that they created their own language. 

Neilson

I have worked for one company that personified excellence in productivity and treatment of employees. For several months in 2006 I worked for Neilson Media Research, which is perhaps the largest media research company. My job specifically was to give away movie tickets. It sounds easy, but getting people to take movie tickets and not think you are trying to sell them something is harder than you might think. One aspect that made this a difficult job was that you had to profile people to give the tickets too. One movie might just be looking for Males ages 25-35, or African Americans, children. The point is that you couldn’t just set up shop on any street corner with a sign that says free movie tickets.
Any particular day at work would go something like this. First I would drive to the building Neilson Media Research worked out of in Hollywood. I’d go in the building show my I’d card and take the elevator to the 11th floor. So, already even in this lowly job I feel important. I get access to go into the House of Blues building in Hollywood. Which didn’t seem back for basically a job that was to the company basically grunt work. At the 11th floor I go into the corner conference room that has two walls of floor to ceiling windows with a view of downtown LA. There awaits me today’s assignment, food, and refreshments. There are no time constraints, I stand around and chat with others and relax before I move to location. Today’s assignment I’m sent to Pasadena to give away tickets to Blood Diamond (which had not been released yet). So, off I go to Old Pasadena. Then comes the hard part; getting rid of the tickets. At this point I have turned into someone everyone hates: that person trying to get you to do something while you are just trying to have a pleasant day in Old Pas. It is like being constantly rejected and misunderstood; people just could never understand that you are not getting them to buy something. All Neilson was trying to do was give tickets away so the people would fill out a survey. Cut to the end of the day. I’ve talked to enough people that my throat is a bit horse, I’m tired from standing all day so I go back to Neilson. There I turn in the list of names I have gotten and relax and if I got my quota I can order lunch/dinner from downstairs.
The point is Neilson did not have to treat us as well as they did for the small job we had. Work was entirely on commission so in reality they could have made it so it was not even necessary for the solicitors to come into the office. They could have just emailed the movie tickets in the morning and we could have just as easily mailed them back at night. But having us come in and letting us use some space on the 11th story of a very nice high rise where other Neilson employees worked made me feel like I was more important and made me feel like I had some connection to the company. In addition, Los Angeles as I know it is a place of networking, i.e. the only way you ever really get a good job is knowing someone who is already in the business. They were very good at letting you know about other opportunities within the company.

Culture of Excellence

When i think of a culture of excellence I think about my employer and the management that makes the company operate. i work in the hospitality industry and it calls on us to make people feel like there at home. I have worked in the industry most of my college carrer and the fact that my employer invested in me and in my coworkers show that they want a solid team. My management strives hard to start with the employees by having a great open door policy where they encourage we share ideas, issues and constructive criticism. They believe that the company will not function without a great team, so they go above and beyond to make sure that the employees look foward to comming to work. The riverview Inn has been voted best of Clarksville every year that Ive been employed there. They only got this because they strive for excellence first with employess so that it motivates and inspires us to pass that energy along to the guest!!!

http://www.theriverviewinn.com/

Google It

Google is an organization of excellence. The way that they organize the web into an easy search able useful space is amazing. I can not imgine how many workers it takes to organize something as big as google. Their imagination is big. They try to come up with new in inovative ways to make life easier. One invention google was developing was a phone line through the toilet system. Many people depend on google. The site allows you to find infomation on just about anything and answer anything. The new google Earth allows an individual to see a house from the front door. To have such impressive technology requires an excellent organization.

Culture of Excellence

A good example of a culture of excellence could be the implementation of new chat support systems placed on company websites such as Bank Of America all the way to the library here at APSU. I find these systems very useful for simple questions. I'm not sure if the focus of these systems are to strive for excellence??? or if they are to reduce labor and phone line congestion???

I feel though if this is a excellence method, it is pretty effective in giving customers support in every aspect, phone, email, online FAQ's, old school letter writing, and now chatting live with an employee. The company caters better to the customer.

Organizational Excellence

Excellence in an organization can come from one factor of an organization to the performance of a company as a whole. From personal experience, the culture of an organization has a huge effect on the organization striving for excellence. When the culture is one of high energy, longevity, and personal concern about its employees welfare the road to excellence just becomes that much easier.
Brewskys is a sports bar in Omaha and Lincoln Nebraska. It is not a fortune 500 company, but it picked an area the owners are passionate about and developed it into a thriving business. It has been rated Best of Lincoln and Best of Omaha several years in a row. Although it sounds simple, it was their attention to detail and commitment to employees that has led to its growth in just a few short years.
Excellence comes from that desire to be the best. Nebraska is known for their sports fans, so there is some competition in the sports bar business. Although it is serving wings and fries while showing the big game, several factors led them to stand above the rest. First of all, Brewskys hired a chef that created all the recipes for their menu. The menu slightly changes to add seasonal dishes as well as tweak old recipes. Second, Brewskys selection of beer and alcohol is unmatched. They carry 15 beers on draft, including Empearean ales which are from the local brewery. They also carry 5-8 different kinds of scotch which is a lot for a sports bar. Another big factor is that they are always showing the big sports event or events because each establishment has around 50 tvs. They also never have a cover charge.
These factors contribute heavily towards their competitive edge in the business. But just as important is the culture within the establishment. It is one of family and customer service. They have a very low turnover rate because of the atmosphere created. The owners know your name and usually a little bit about you. Your clientele is just as concerned about your well being. They strive to make you as knowledgeable as possible in the business. Plus, they find a way to make it fun to go to work.
Although Brewskys is not a huge corporation and may never get out of Nebraska; it is shows excellence in its organization. It was a dream of 3 guys that started in 1990 and has grown from one establishment to 7 and gives the extra touch to each one of these organizations.
Andrea Hayes

Dealing with a Bureaucracy: APSU was wrong for that!!!!

Have you ever had a trying time with a bureaucratic establishment? Well I did and it happened at Austin Peay State University during the winter break I had the time off ticket and classes paid for and I was ready to study abroad. It was wonderful and busy when I touched down in Mexico to extend the school during are winter break little did I know my first day of school was maybe my last day. The alarm clock sounded and I was rejuvenated and excited to see the campus where I would be learning Spanish. The first thing I did was get my tour and when I found the computer lab I immediately checked my email and what did I see. Attention students who are attending study abroad Mexico, It read dear student if you are in the study abroad Mexico you will not be receiving credit from the University. The first thing that came to mind was WTF!! I was mad I immediately got the other Apsu students and told them what Dr. Hoppe had just sent. Mind you that she sent the email the same day are flights left so Cleary no one had saw the email until we arrived. I was so mad that I nominated myself as the spokesperson, everyone said she’s not going to take your call, But I knew better. I got on the phone got her secretary and explained that I needed to speak with Dr. Hoppe regarding an email I just received she immediately got the president on the line. I spoke with Dr. Hoppe and she began to ask so many questions that I had to stop her and say aren’t you the president of the university why are you asking me all these questions. I just wanted to know why we were not informed before we left. She advised me that the trip wasn’t to have been sold I told her that there were flyers everywhere up to the moment I left. Clearly she wasn’t walking the campus. She explained that it was the TBR decision so I asked for the head person in charge there. Before hanging up the phone I asked should I cash out get the money that’s owed to me and leave or should I stay. Here response was I can’t advise you on that but that I am to know that credit will not be accepted by the university another WTF moment. So I get the rep on the phone from the TBR he began to investigate and ask it seemed like 30 questions I stopped him and was like look, tell me something. No one wanted to tell me anything. So I got with my classmates and we decided to stay in Mexico and fight that battle when we got back to the states. Fight we did I remember being in a room filled with people including the Spanish teacher, there drilling him and us. There were so many questions being asked and I only wanted an answer to if I was going to get credit. Of course us students won. That experience was crazy because I had to speak with so many people before I could get what I earned and most of all PAID FOR. Austin Peay was wrong for that!!

Self Actualization is Not Settling

Self actualization as known to maslow is the reaching of one's potential or in simpler words being all that you can be. People often become lost in this world just trying to live correctly from day to day and never making sacrifice for the greater good and through that self actualization is a concept that sadly most people don't quite get. I believe it was Thomas Carlyle that stated that men do less than they ought if they do not all that they can and Epictetus says that first a man must decide what he wants to be then he must do all he can to be it. I know these quotes very well because these are the two quotes I have always lived by. I believe that the only moment a person should be satisfied with themselves is on their death bed. In life there is too much to be accomplished and if we fall lesser than that of a god we did not accomplish everything. Settling with yourself is a travesty and should be more frowned upon by society, but it is not. I myself attempt self actualization by always trying to better myself whether it's as a boyfriend, friend, brother, son, golfer, dancer, or whatever else I might decide to do. Self actualization is not just a part of my life, it's my philosophy

Self Actualization...have I truly found it?

The first time I was on stage and actually concentrated on something else while in character was the first time I felt as though I wasn't there. Being in character as they liked to call it, or playing against the fourth wall, or even "using" the audience as I was trained never really meant much more than concrete sense to me. But this one time in this one moment I really felt more than one hundred percent clear about a decision I made. That decision was to pursue theatre in my life. I was sure, happy, content, and not confused.

The task now is to continue, pursue, and never forget that feeling. Maintaining that mindset is the challenge. I now know the true feeling of getting paid for something you love doing.

Self Actualization!

What is self actualization? Well for every person there will be a different answer. I think what is meant by self actualization is when people achieve what is most meaningful in their lives to their fullest extents. If someone takes what they want to do and accomplishes that task to the fullest extent possible then i believe they are SELF actualized. Now, what is self actualization to ME? I think that if i just go from day to day and help others and live my life to the best of my ability and be (and no i didnt steal this from the army..well okay i kind of did) all that i can be, then that is my self actualization.

Am I actually self-actualized?

Self Actualization:
According to our text self-actualization is to become everything one is capable of becoming.

What does it mean to me to become self-actualized? Words come to mind such as accomplishment, happiness, inner-peace, purpose, strive. So the question is what gives me those sensations? To me self-actualization is simple: it is being able and confident that no matter what type of shipwreck I get into I will possess the knowledge and skills to get ashore and later laugh about it. It is at the time of being in trouble that I feel determined to succeed. It is at the period of struggle and challenge that more than ever that I am animated. It is at the point of success that I feel accomplished. And when I can laugh about it; I know I am conflident enough to again be challenged. In my definition being self-actualized is not permanent end state. So, to become self-actualized I must continue to get into difficult and unpleasant situations, because it is only when I am challenged that I grow. Contrarily, if I was at a point where I felt totally defeated or gave up, that would be the ultimate low; a total lack of ‘self-actualization’.

Into Myself

Self actualization to me is beeing comfortable with oneself. This is a sense of fullfillment within. Self actualization is the highest form of confidence. To attain this level of confidence, a person must be happy with who they are on the inside as well as the outside. A person who is worried with their looks can never focuse on the inner part of themself. If all the attention is given to the physical side, a person can never attain the high level of self confidence.

For the longest part of my college life, I have focused on the physical aspect. Once I reached where I wanted, I realized the physical body is not as important anymore. I wasted alot of my years going to the gym and doing things excessively. I realized that it is the individual that counts. So now I am spending alot of my time helping others. I have reached my level of confidence with in. By helping others reach theirs, I am reinforcing mine.

My View on Self actualization.

Personally I believe that self actualization is contentment with ones self. As humans our driving force is that we always are looking for the next step, job, spirituality, feeling, or good time and we are never satisfied with what we have. If you have reached the top of the pyramid then you no longer have to keep searching. I think the reason we all strive so hard is to reach that final feeling of contentment. Me, well I believe I will never stop learning lessons in life so I don't know if I will ever actually reach self actualization, but I'll sure have fun trying.

Bureaucracy

According to wikipedia bureaucracy is defined as, "the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity, usually in large organizations and government." So I guess one of my personal experience could be when I waited like 4 hours in the Gallatin drivers license place just to get a reprint. They have this stupid system they follow and none of the workers give a damn about you. They just sit in their chairs and laugh and make jokes with each other when they could have used that time to get four more people through. It seems like when people feel like they are in a position of power, they really could care less what pace they produce at. Thats just a tiny example of how slow our government is.

Self Actualization

This term, I believe, is something that takes almost a full lifetime to understand. I think self actualization is a process and determining where you are on that process is the most important step to reaching your goal.
I've often heard that you have to know where you are starting from to get where you want to go. I really believe this to be a true statement. I also believe it is the unexpected life challenges that determine your path toward self actualization.
In facing these challenges you decide, then and there, what kind of person you will become. If life was consistently an easy path- it would be hard to develop personal character.
I know that my biggest personal growth has come from some extremely difficult situations. From the moment I moved 13 hours away from home, I grew some strength. But the move was just the first step. Three months after we got here my husband deployed to Iraq. It was less than a year after he was home that he left for Iraq a second time. It was this loneliness that challenged me to see just what kind of inner strength I had. During this time, I started training for a half marathon and then a full marathon. This led to a whole other kind of inner strength. It seems once you find a challenge and come to peace with it, another challenge presents itself.
This process is my journey toward self actualization. Facing challenges, struggling and then meeting or exceeding through these challenges, and becoming hungry for more is what keeps me moving in the right direction.
Andrea Hayes

Self Actualization

I think self actualization means different things for different people. I feel personally that self actualization would be how i feel my life is headed. I would ask myself questions such as, At this point in my life am i headed in the right direction for me to achieve my goals as an adult with a promising career? or Am i proud of what i have become over the years? These would be examples that i would use to decide whether i am fulfilled with my life. In other words this is how I would personally use self actualization.

My problem with...

I highly recommend you do not rent property from Crye-Leike in Clarksville.  My roommate and I were screwed out of half of our rent deposit.  We made a verbal agreement with our property manager ANGIE SEXTON in order to vacate the residence early and have our last months rent prorated.  That was back on Dec 12th, it is now Feb 11th and we are just now finding out that we will not receive the other half.  She admitted in a 3way call to her supervisors that she learned a life lesson using OUR mula!

Dealing with any bureaucracy the lesson is to always have paper proof! 

Walmart and Verizon Screwed My Family

I work at Walmart. My job is to sell cell phones to people. Walmart is a bureaucracy because there is a chain of command. They actually assign numbers to workers as well. Your number level determineshow much you make. I am a level 5 in the cell phone department. Department managers are level 6's, and it goes up from there within the store. The next level past department managaers are zone managers, assistant managers, co-managers, store manager, district managers, and at the top are the children of Sam Walton.



For the most part, the connection center(cell phone department) is an easy job. I get paid more than other people who work constanly in the store. All I do is stand in a kiosk and wait. At most, I had five customers in a day. However, there was a situation that caused me to just get angry with the bureacracy sytem of Walmart and Verizon.



Verizon has another system. I receive help from a guy who is the verizon represenative. Back in August 2008 my family came in as a customer. They set up a new line with verizon. At the time, verizon had a promotion going on. It was set up a new line, receive a $50wlamart gift certificate. They had some fine print stuff. Such as must have line for a month before receiving the certificate. The reason for this is b/c verzon has a 30 day return policy. So they did not want someoene to get the gift certificate for free. Then they said it may take 4-8 weeks to receive the promotional item.

Three months pass and my family did not receive a certificate at all. I txt message my verizon rep and he never answered back. My deprtment manager tried to get intouch with him and he never responded. One day he came into the store and I broght up the situation to him. He acted as if he was annoyed. He was bothered that I txt him for something lilke that. He told me he reponded to my txt already. I told him he did not. I showed him my received messages from him. I received none. So then he goes through his phone to prove to me that he sent me a txt. He never found it.

Then he tells me he will get on to the problem and fix it. A month pass, nothing. I see him again and he tells me that it is silly I bring this up. I am angry we did not get the $50. This amount may not be much to corporate world such as walmart or verizon who are dealing with millions and possibly billions, but for average people like my family, $50 is alot. This amount could feed my family for two days.

So my verizon rep, name drew gives me a number to call. i call the number. It was the rebate department for verizon. They said they did not handle this situation because the phone was purchased at walmart. They recomend me to speak with walmart. I spoke with my managers and they said that was verizon's reponsibility. I spoke with Drew and he told me to talk to customer service. Customer service told me they have no record of any such promotion. They then told me to speak with Drew. Drew told me there was nothing he could and and said to tell the customer to call customer service at verizon.

THE CUSTOMERS WAS MY FAMILY!

If i could not resolve the situation for them, how the hell are they suppose to do it? I am the one who is suppose to "specialize" in this area.

So basically Walmart and Verizon have collected money from my family. They Have alot b/c of the monthly phone bills. Walmart keeps any comission I make. I get none. I feel that my family have been screwed out of $50 which is alot of money for us, and not much to them.

The case is still pending. I will not give up.

-Nhatdanh

Federal Student Aid

When I started going to college I was 17 my mother had just passed away and my father did not talk to me. As if that was not bad enough, I was not able to receive federal student aid. Until you are 24 years old you are considered a dependent of your parents. You can bypass this by proving you are estranged or by getting married.

Proving you are estranged is a difficult task. It usually involves using some kind of legal document. This can range from you having been a ward of the state or some legal document saying that your parent(s) gave up on you.

In my case I could prove my father was the only living parent, but I could not prove that I was ‘estranged.’ If I had had enough money I could have gotten a lawyer and had an investigation done, but obviously I could not afford the cost.

After I finally found the person I needed to talk to at the financial aid office at UCLA, I was there constantly. Every time I came in the counselor needed some other document of information. Then when I would get a packet up to send to the board they would turn it down. I did convince a lawyer who I had known for many years to write a notarized memo on my behalf. That was the final piece of documentation I could come up with.

In the end without a court document there was nothing anyone was willing to do for me except show me how to take out private loans. I did learn an important lesson when dealing with bureaucracy, and that is to always have your paperwork in order, and try to learn as much about the system as possible before you enter. If at all possible known names of the people who have any connection to what you are trying to accomplish.

This is actually made much easier in the Army. Knowing how to write an Army Memorandum makes life so much easier when you are trying to get something done, because if you know how to write the memo you can just give it to your superior to sign, and they are always more willing to sign something if you have already done the paperwork.

Beauracratic Hang Ups

Have you ever had a loved one in the hospital and since you are not their legal guardian you are not allowed in certain areas? Well, my younger brother had major surgery over the summer of 2008 to have a tumor removed from his right calf. I didn't arrive with my parents that day because i had a doctor's appointment of my own so when i arrived late i had to try and persuade the women at the desk to let me in to see my brother. This was probably the only time i really have had problems with the "system" that i really got angry because although we dont have the same last name and i didnt come at the same time, he is still my brother.

CHARLES '' DON-JUAN '' HUNTER ( Who and What im about)

I'm a young man looking toward his future. Putting God first in my life.My Life is forever in his hands. No amount of money or anything will take him away. I found out through him all things are possible. With God I can allow him to order my steps. Ive come to find out that he is the real love, all love. With him I know being me and knowing me is all that matters. I know people talk and with him I don't care what they say. I'm a reborn child of God. No one or nothing can break me down. So in order to know me, you have to know what I stand for and what side of the battle field I stand on. So with Love this is my message and page. I may not be the strongest man, I may not be the softest man. I know I'm the most outgoing, I know I'm not the shyest. I may not ask for everything, I may only ask for a few things. I may not agree, I may not disagree. Not as tall as you, Not as short as you. I may not be the typical black man, The decisions and actions I choose to do is what makes me. they told me when I decided to walk with the Lord, and take him in completely, everything would change. YES I CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE CHANGE IS IN ME! Have you ever noticed when something wonderful happens in your life, you expect the world to be just as excited or care as much as you do? It’s like what happens to you has to matter to the rest of the population. When we love and it is not returned we get angry and frustrated because “thas not how it’s supposed to go!” Guess what! When something happens to me, good or bad, it is my experience, and it doesn’t matter how the world receives it. When I love, I am content in knowing that while it did not grow in others, IT GREW IN ME. And the people to come don’t have to worry being blamed for another person’s action or inaction. I know — because of wisdom — it’s not their burden to carry. Don’t get me wrong, we are still human and we are in this experience until our transition. I am certainly more conscious of what I am doing because while love was growing in me for someone who did not want to or was not able to love me back, so was forgiveness and compassion and the divine art of “letting go!” How sad one must feel not to love anyone — not even them self — because of an addiction or because they can’t let go of what happened to them before. Just keep your eyes open! Shift sure has mines OPEN!!! and IM LOVIN IT!!!! I know theres a time and season for everything and nothing last forever. So I choose to approach life with an opened mind. I don’t just live life but I make it my point to experience it. I believe every day is a chance to do it better than yesterday. Although there are many people in my life I know at what distance they belong, as well as what purpose they serve.. sOoO important! Theres something just not right about having too many people in your circle, which is why I have a dream team close net friends and family, none of which are concerned with popularity, that I can always draw on for strength to accomplish my dreams. If you would like to get to know me it is important that U understand the thin line between mere complacency and a self continentment that only God can give. be approachable and sincere with a pure heart! I believe that people at peace with themselves are often considered boring by those who are envious at heart, crave popularity, and the spotlight. It's helped me clearly evaluate where and who I want to be in the future and i will continue to follow MY dreams with or without you on my team. BELIEVE that what you truely believe you are at heart is exactly what you will be. I've learned that nothing worth having comes easily because it's the character built along the way that prepares me for what's meant to be mine. I know I'll fall a few times but I'm assured through MY OWN life that when I get up I'll be much stronger.

This is me. WHO ARE YOU??

A Thin Line For Management

To set some light on my background I am 21 years old, therefore I have only had six years of working eligibility. I have worked since I was 13 when I worked for a local golf store on an assembly line putting together golf clubs, I worked at such a young age so I could buy myself a cell phone. After I turned 15 I started working at Chris' Pizza Village, which was then Michael's Pizza and I have worked there ever since. I am the store manager capable of performing all operations in this store excepting the ability to own it. The owner though a real butthead has leaned on me to work hard so he doesn't have to since the day I became a manager. Regardless good job or bad job I've never heard a simple good job from him.
People go to college to work hard in the future and never be cogs in the machine of the corporation. As a manager all this time I have a distorted view on what a cog is or why they are even needed sometimes. But you have to realize when talking about a cog in the machine youre talking about a person who can't or just hasn't stepped up to the challenges needed to move. Whether it's because it's not their time to or they aren't qualified they don't earn the spot of manager.
My blog, however, is finished talking about the cogs because instead I want to take the back of the management that has to deal with them. When you are a manager it is expected of you to perfectly meet the needs of your superiors and your inferiors and that is just impossible. In the sad fact of life, according to the views of a "cog" every good manager would be fired from his/her job for sticking to the best interest of the workers on the ground floor, however the smartest and most successful manager would be hated for sticking to the best interest of his superiors.
A better way to start this would be: A person graduates college and finds a good steady job, this person works their butt off and eventually they get noticed. This person is particularly popular with his co-workers and he really enjoys their company. He gets promoted to management and now he does not just have to work on the task at hand, he now must decide which task is best for the company. As he makes the top class proud he moves up and eventually has achieved what his hard work should have earned him, but in order to build his wealth and become a more powerful employee he has to do what he is told. Now the floor workers begin to hold a grudge and next thing you know his friends basically say high up job or me, which option would a man with a family to feed, or a dream to fill choose? So now you have your cogs and this once personable manager becomes out of touch with his workers. Who's fault is it though? Management can be fired just as quickly as the rest of the workers but how do they stick around so much longer?
In this world you have to be ready to step on a few toes on the way up the ladder. If a man walks around the streets and gives a five every bum he sees he'll be broke within the month, same goes for a manager. Everyone has to be disposable so you won't be. A manager must deal with the faults of his employees while balancing with the demands of his bosses. Not everyone can have what they want and this life is too short to pass up your opportunity to make someone else content.

Bureaucratic hang ups

Allow me to set some background for this topic. I grew up in a family that operated a small family farm, which meant paying huge monthly amounts for health insurance for very little coverage. I can fully appreciate government paid health care and the comfort it can give every American. However, with all the benefits to government health care- there are so many challenges and so many places to fall through the cracks.
My most reoccurring frustration with a bureaucracy is dealing with military health care system. The challenge starts with simply trying to get an appointment. With military health care, you can not set up appointments in too far in advance. When you need to be seen by a doctor, you must call that morning as close to 7 am as possible in order to get an appointment for that day. If all appointments are full; your only option is to wait at the ER or to try and call again tomorrow morning around 7. I have several times tried the ER. I have waited till I got off work, and let me tell you there is no good time to try and be seen. Every time I have visited the ER it has been a 4 hour minimum wait and although none of my problems were life threatening there were times when I was in immense pain. A couple of times, I was even admitted for IV to rehydrate me after waiting so long in the ER.
When sitting there helpless, it is hard not to watch employees and wish they could move with just a little more urgency. I do realize that they deal with people hurting every day and that it is not possible to always move with speed, but every time I visit I see more people without that sense of urgency.
If you are able to get an appointment, you have to realize it is NEVER the same doctor you saw last time. In the 6 years I have been receiving health care with Ft. Campbell military system I have never had the same doctor. This is one reason I believe the wait is so long, even with an appointment. Each visit requires extensive background work because you are dealing with a new person.
Often times, it simply comes down to this. Do I want to spend the next several hours (minimum of 2-3 with an appointment, 4-6 without an appointment) waiting for health care? The other option is of course to be seen off post and pay for your treatment. I have to admit I have always chosen to save money and just spend my time. I simply feel this is just part of the problems you deal with when dealing with a bureaucratic system.
Ann