A Tale of Two Companies

When Ernie came home from work tonight he summarized a conversation that he had with his boss today. Ernie’s new company, Kohler, has been pleased with Ernie and they have identified him as someone that they would like to stay with the company long-term. Ernie’s boss asked him how things were going and if Ernie was happy or if he was a “flight risk”. Ernie’s response was that he was very happy and that in fact, we are so happy here his only concern is uprooting me from Hattiesburg when the time comes. He explained to his boss how happy I am here, but that really, I’m just happy he’s no longer at his old company. [For an attempt at anonymity, let’s call the old company “Old Company”]. As Ernie was recounting this conversation to me, I started to think about it and he’s exactly right! I do love it here in Mississippi very much, but mostly I’m just happy that he’s no longer at the “Old Company”.

Old Company:

• Ernie’s phone rang day and night (most nights easily up until 10pm) and definitely 7 days a week.
• Crucial emails also arrived 24/7, with Ernie’s cell phone buzzing with email notifications in the middle of the night and always on Sundays- right in the middle of our church service.
• I will not blame the company for this entirely, but due to the severe recession in the industry there was always a feeling of mild panic and a little bit of inevitable doom.
• Very, very little positive feedback. Some of this was Ernie’s boss, who managed out of fear, and some of this was culture. But Ernie was never told (until the very end, when he resigned and the president of the company called to ask him to stay) that he was needed and that there was a place for him.
• Again, not the company’s fault per se, but wage cuts along with forced unpaid leave did not make for a happy bank account.
• Fractured company leadership. For example, because of political maneuverings, the company had two CFO’s on the org chart when Ernie left back in May. Why? Who knows with that one.
• Ernie worked every Saturday.
• Again, this one is not the fault of the company, but Ernie got his MBA while we were there and so when he graduated in May 2008- he promised me that he would be around again. Then the market crashed 2 months later and his industry fell apart. So my promised respite never came.

New Company (Kohler):

• Ernie’s phone sometimes buzzes in the evenings but now it doesn’t make him jump. I feel like one of Pavlov’s dogs because I am still conditioned to view his phone as a bearer of doom and bad news and it amazes me that he can wait to see who called or what the email said.
• The first few weeks after Ernie started the job, he kept checking for important emails on the weekends. For the most part there weren’t any. Nobody expects a weekend reply from Ernie anymore.
• I find Kohler to be a much more positive environment. That can probably be mostly attributed to the fact that they think Ernie is the best thing since sliced bread and so that makes me automatically like them a lot. 
• Ernie certainly gets negative feedback in this company, but there is always a purpose, a lesson, or a reason behind it. There doesn’t seem to be any fear mongering. Not yet, anyways.
• Kohler is a privately held company (still run by the Kohler family), which might have it’s drawbacks, but at least you know who’s in charge and they really seem to care about their people.
• Ernie is home every Saturday. He’s worked here for 9 months and I can count on one hand the number of times he’s gone in on a Saturday.
• Ernie is now here for me. For reals. He comes home most nights for dinner, and even the nights he’s late, he’s still home around 7pm. I feel like our quality of life is so much better.

Heavenly Father knew what we needed and He helped us. I have no other explanation for how Ernie was able to find not just another job, but a better job, in the middle of one of the worst economies in 100 years. I don’t know why we have been blessed this way, when so many other people we know and love have not. All I know is that this experience has caused both Ernie and I to feel a deep sense of gratitude and given us an increased desire to draw even closer to the Lord so that we can be the people that He wants us to be.