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	Name:	MrHodja -
	Subject:	Like Everything Else
	Date:	1/6/2009 5:30:36 PM

There are good, conscientious, hard-working Government employees, and there are those who are dolts, dead wood, uncommitted, and just looking for a paycheck.

The same is true for Government contractors. Some are dedicated to being a force multiplier for their customers, while others just go through the motions.

I spent 22 years Active Duty Air Force and 19 years as a Government contractor, and it seems to me that the key in either case is the expectations placed on the employees by their organizations and supervisors. If the supervisor is a no-nonsense, get-the-job-done person, the employees will be more productive. If the supervisor is lax and not involved in the workers' day to day activities, the workers tend to adopt that same laissez-faire (sp?) attitude.

My company's motto is "delighting our customers", and we strive day-in and day-out to give them such good service that they will be delighted and ask us back for more. And it is equally committed to its employees. 19 years with the same company in Government contracting is very rare.

And while some contractors enjoy palatial surroundings and treat themselves well, our own corporate philosophy is to be "lean and mean" when it comes to overhead. In our case, we are definitely less expensive than our Government colleagues, and as a result, have a competitive edge when seeking new work.

On a brighter note, if you want to appreciate how productive Americans are across the board, go to another country - such as Italy - and you will see Government incompetence and unproductive workers like you wouldn't believe. They have at least six people doing the job of one, and refuse to implement automation - because if they get more efficient, there won't be a reason to keep them around. At the entry gate to the Italian Navy base we visit, there will be anywhere from five to eight guards and/or Carabinieri standing around shooting the "stuff",and we barely get the attention of one, maybe two.

We must be careful that we don't end up like the Italians and others of that ilk (and their 55% income tax and 20 % sales (value added) tax).

Off the rambling soap box now.....

Watch out for the weather tonight,

Nasreddin Hodja