Comments on: Nortel’s PR Dilemma

By: longtime employee

longtime employee — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 13:54:11 +0000

I’m more angry about the way the regime de jour has upended a long term approach for continual improvement of internal processes. They arrogantly assume the Nortel employee population lacked the initiative to do any policing of our own processes. The entire approach to OwnIt! sessions is predicated on implementing changes to improve processes, my team has always done that without prompting. The concepts of Six Sigma we have so far seen demonstrated include viciously slashing costs without regard for the impact on quality while process and defect analysis is still underway.

Unfortunately the arrogance and hostility displayed by JJ in his parking lot encounter simply personifies this approach that the new leadership has taken. This isn’t a business transformation underway as much as a regime of terror.

By: not_naive_employee

not_naive_employee — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 23:45:04 +0000

Not much in the news. This blog and the news observer seem to be the only spots where you can find comments or report about this parking lot incident.
There is no need for Nortel to publish a press release or comment. No financial website reports about this and no major newspaper. It’ll be forgotten soon. What remains is gossip in the Nortel halls, sarcastic and ironic jokes about JH and ZMan (jokes have always been the weapon of the little people!) and some frustration. Joel isn’t repected anyhow, so who cares? Joel and Z? No, don’t think so.

But whay does this incident get so much attention from the employee side?

Let’s be honest, many operations employees are very angry about Joel. His management style, his way of communcating, his ignorance of good performance of the operations staff, his behaviour, his temper …. I guess many employees would like to do what Alicia did. Show him that he cannot do whatever he wants, that he has to respect other human beings. That’s why noone says, hey give him a second chance. He simply doesn’t deserve it.

By: n&o reader

n&o reader — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:20:06 +0000

http://www.newsobserver.com/134/story/547735.html

By: nortel employee

nortel employee — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:30:53 +0000

Well so far its been a few days and nothing is being said or done. They are betting this will all blow over in a few more days. Hopefully this will get more attention than just this blog but doubtful it will go anywhere. The good ol boys club strikes again.

By: x-employee

x-employee — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:05:45 +0000

I have worked with some of the other leaders at Nortel. I have had a very sr. level tell me that “woman are good at some things but we cannot rely on them for what counts.” I have been in meetings when sr. level execs referred to the employees as “the little people”. I am sure many that work at nortel can back-up these comments. the issue goes much deeper than just one man.

By: Careful observer

Careful observer — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 23:28:43 +0000

I think someone needs to get a copy of the complaint and publish it on here- or wherever people can easily access the facts. From what I’ve read the 4 witnesses to JH’s rage all agree that the victim honked her horn once and he overreacted. Why would he have signed his name on the line knowing the complaint was inaccurate? Why is there such an insistence to defend a man who has offended so many Nortel employees with his temper? This appears to be the final straw for many employees on this blog and hopefully it will be the same for Mike Z.

By: Cool Down folks..

Cool Down folks.. — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 22:34:07 +0000

You can’t just hear one side of the story and conclude it was all Joel’s fault. I agree, he should have been more responsible being an executive, but all human beings are fallible.

By: not_naive_employee

not_naive_employee — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 21:01:51 +0000

Interesting, in the telephone interview Joel said â€œItâ€™s such a minor thing that I havenâ€™t been involved in itâ€ and his attorny said â€œMr. Hackney regrets this unfortunate incident took placeâ€. No word that heâ€™s regretting what he did. No, he just regrets that it happened, but not that he threatened her and grabbed her face. JH still seems to think that he was right in what he was doing. Oh my oh my â€¦
The Nortel spokeswoman said â€œJoel has our support and confidenceâ€. Well, he definitly hasnâ€™t my support and confidence and I guess many other employees – especially the women – share this view.

By: notfrank

notfrank — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:34:10 +0000

Joel is lucky he did this AFTER he got hired. In the US, before you are hired into an executive position, or most white collar positions, almost all companies do a background check. A simple GOOGLE would bring up an issue like this and the offer would be rescinded by my company or most others. Who wants to hire someone with a temper and a deferred judgement who might cause future trouble or might cause future embarassment? Also, the Nortel PR group should not be expressing “support and confidence” for Joel. They should keep quiet if Nortel insist on keeping him despite his temper and get back to whatever the PR group is supposed to do for a living.

By: not_naive_employee

not_naive_employee — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:00:32 +0000

Interesting, in the telephone interview Joel said “It’s such a minor thing that I haven’t been involved in it” and his attorny said “Mr. Hackney regrets this unfortunate incident took place”. No word that he’s regretting what he did. No, he just regrets that it happened, but not that he threatened her and grabbed her face. JH still seems to think that he was right in what he was doing. Oh my oh my …
The Nortel spokeswoman said “Joel has our support and confidence”. Well, he definitly hasn’t my support and confidence and I guess many other employees – especially the women – share this view.