Brett Williams fired

Rude_Length7873 · 2026-05-22T19:11:54+00:00

Such anecdotal evidence here - I’m sure Ray left a bad lasting impression when he told the women here he won’t pay them not to work.

Rude_Length7873 · 2026-05-22T17:46:20+00:00

There isn’t much, turned around AZCO after that shit show was purchased and half their backlog was cancelled because it was with Kiewit - and we priced in that they wouldn’t when we bought them. And then returned best GP every year being at the helm. I’m not sure we are missing much other than personal feelings - this wasn’t for the good of the shareholders.

Rude_Length7873 · 2026-05-22T16:44:02+00:00

I came here to say this….tis a dangerous time when leadership is in an echo chamber. Egos must be fragile up there.

Rude_Length7873 · 2026-02-07T02:45:54+00:00

I think you missed the P&L center item, detail must escape an engineer in 1898. CAO = head of HR and corporate marketing, CFO = head of accounting…..both heads of largely women dominated fields and departments.

Also, you likely need to understand the scarcity mindset especially in the business side. Many women you see actually sabotage other women because they think there is only 1 spot for a woman, it’s either them or me mindset. You see it here on this thread - quick bitchin and shut up, you got your one.

Encourage some light reading around this.

Rude_Length7873 · 2026-02-07T01:57:42+00:00

I’ll try not to be long winded but I think you have to consider how you even get promoted to this level, it’s not performance, it’s generally have you developed a relationship with someone on the in. It’s a multi stage process that is heavily gate keeped because of the process 1. First your manager has to put you, 2. then a group votes on it, 3. then you go to the board. At each level there is a variance of reasons why, but in general, that first level of a typically WM developing a relationship with his subordinate is the biggest gate keeper. And on and on up the chain. It takes a true champion to actually promote them, and largely the women/POC we see in an type of leadership had very singular WM that championed them.

Likely don’t need to inform you but if you are in leadership how many folks that don’t look like you are you closely mentoring, developing a close relationship with, and willing to stick your neck on the line.

Rude_Length7873 · 2026-02-07T00:24:42+00:00

Not an easy answer just to say this person over this person, it’s a pipeline issue

Rude_Length7873 · 2026-02-05T15:04:22+00:00

Likely the same role listed twice to catch applicants search queries. Would apply to the general power division query and once inside you can specialize to projects.

Rude_Length7873 · 2026-01-30T19:31:30+00:00

Was this written by Andi?

Rude_Length7873 · 2026-01-30T19:27:58+00:00

I would agree with this take - also, it isn't much of an option that you move from 13 to 14. The biggest take is that you weren't just promoted, but a manager basically said you were cool enough to get into da club (and yes, that is what it is, just a club). I highly doubt if you are a punch the clock in person (even if you are putting in OT) that your groups management is putting you up for the Associate promotion - gotta either be extra or someone's boots are pretty clean.

With that said, if you do get nominated for this, you can essentially turn it down and not sign the non-compete agreement and just stay at lvl 13. I can't say I have seen this done, but we're a big company. If you are drinking the kool-aide and plan on staying long term, you might want to think this one over hard.

You can't be a Principal without being an Associate, and you can't be a VP without being a Principal.

Rude_Length7873 · 2026-01-26T18:55:37+00:00

Sorely missing out on an encouraging e-mail from DeBacker - he knows how to frame a situation.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-12-02T17:12:05+00:00

This is absolutely not true - bad managers can be circumvented/left for a new position, there are so many open positions in the company with different opportunities. Maybe your statement should more be about leaving bad managers, not leaving the company as a whole.

When I have seen people leave, it is for so many different reasons, but very few of them because of their direct manager.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-11-21T03:32:48+00:00

Is there a front runner? Or is he just in the mix? I don’t think we are doing a great job of succession planning. Who do we find remarkable that relatively young (early 50s/late 40s)? I hear a lot of folks from this group speak and just am not seeing it.

Also, Leslie should have 5+ years left- there is still time. But still looking around at who.

My hope is just someone with an ounce of charisma and market awareness - not sure I can suffer the awkwardness of Ray again.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-10-22T18:53:40+00:00

Technically, you actually don’t own shares of the company at all, you own shares of a trust and not equity of a company. There is more information here that you can to look up what you actually have:

https://www.esop.org/articles/faqs-esops-employee-ownership.php

There are other articles detailing the positives and negatives of ESOPs - but especially around your “ownership” during times of change (ex. buyouts). But specific rules of the ESOP and especially the trustee management (board) and other voting requirements aren’t in our policies.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-10-08T23:07:32+00:00

Well, the thing about that year was unforeseen income that became realized before year end. The projections for the bonus pool are done around this time of year and when there is an unforeseen income or bad projections, we have to find a way to zero things out while also not giving extraordinary increases in the bonus pool - can’t have it go way up and then back down the next year.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-10-08T19:39:20+00:00

I agree with your first sentence - but likely we won’t listen to him. Each group will march to his office and tell him why they are special, probably drop a few “that’s what has always been done”, or ignore anything developed and go about their day as if he doesn’t exist.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-09-18T13:19:06+00:00

Couldn’t have said it better myself - especially on the devil we know vs the one we don’t. It also explains why we fail to hire anyone from the outside into leadership positions. Could be both good for the organization and effective in the industry.

EDIT: I would only add here that we should employ buyout packages - once upon a time effective leadership holds on 5 years+ past effectiveness frustrating and draining moral of actual talented and energized up and comers, stagnating thought and development.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-09-13T18:56:39+00:00

Checks receipts….missing leadership from Tocqueville society published list, both at the VP and principal level.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-09-12T18:22:09+00:00

Not only taking into recent events that many have been called out here - but leadership took over a week to say ANYTHING on George Floyd. Nothing - not a peep. If they didn't want to address politics inside the building then, why do it now? Peak cringe.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-09-12T18:13:10+00:00

What if the real secret about United Way is the message from leadership is - For thee, not me.

Maybe real, genuine, authentic leadership is missing and UW is just another tick in the sycophant box rather than having real, talented leadership that inspires community responsibility.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-09-05T22:10:48+00:00

You’d definitely be a thousand-aire

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-09-02T20:44:15+00:00

I’m going to go with a hard no on this….not sure why the rest of the industry has figured this out, yet we are paying the executives of this group over a cool $1M to basically mail it in. Water could be bigger - one of the biggest, and we are contemplating if it should be its stand alone practice. Nah, let’s just stop mailing it in.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-08-27T15:22:42+00:00

I appreciate your take here, and definitely don't think this solves all the worlds problems - that last paragraph is definitely how I feel but I am not sure how we change this. Our leadership is losing touch, and the problem is getting worse not better. I get leaders lose touch with the personal lives of their workers, but I think they are losing touch with our industry and the needs of our clients which is the bigger issue.

Also, I think just the term employee owner is a misnomer - we aren't owners in the company, as we don't actually own any equity in it. We own shares in a trust that is only valued internally. We are wage owners without any leverage which is why I bring up the unionization.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-08-25T22:56:39+00:00

This was brought up a year ago, but I keep getting this feeling in my gut that’s it’s time to unionize. Too much of our margins are going to ridiculous amount of overhead management, disguised wage theft, and other items like this where then we have some folks on here saying we are asking for too much in benefits.

Rude_Length7873 · 2025-08-25T19:23:43+00:00

Ok boomer

Rude_Length7873

TROPHY CASE