5 ms·

Jeff Bezos Works In Kentucky Distribution Center For A Week

81 points by brandonkm 18y ago

sketerpot 18y ago
I was expecting to hear what he learned from the experience.
- Zev 18y ago
  The week isn't over yet.
catone 18y ago
Admirable, certainly. It's nice to see a CEO who is keen to experience his business from every angle. From observing the workplace of my girlfriend, who has recently worked in retail for a large, national corporation, I can tell that the particular company she works for definitely doesn't. Very often they get instructions about how to rearrange the sales floor that anyone actually working there with the customers would never in a million years think was a good idea -- usually, a few weeks later, they're told to change back to what they were doing. My guess is that's how it goes in most big companies. Eventually, the suits don't touch the nitty gritty parts of the business, and they end up getting way out of touch. That said, I doubt if Bezos, by virtue of the fact that everyone will know who he is, will run into the rumored "sweatshop" conditions at some Amazon distro centers (if those rumors are at all true, which is impossible for anyone who hasn't worked in one to say): http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10123835-93.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10123835-93.html EDIT: Also, does Jeff Bezos have a blog? His is one I would really love to read.
dbul 18y ago
Yes! This is what more CEOs of large companies need to do. If you are a CEO, you need to understand what is going on in the company first hand, not by playing whisper down the lane with the chain of command. (This is my philosophy, hopefully reality one day.)
- staunch 18y ago
  He's going to get a very sanitized version of the experience. What would be really amazing is if he disguised himself and went to work in the warehouse unannounced. Although I'm sure there would be plenty of self righteous outrage if he actually did.
  - dbul 18y ago
    The important thing is that he is going to be at the same level as those employees. He can ask them questions such as, "What needs improvement?" He's a bright guy so I would imagine he can figure out a way to make the employees feel comfortable enough to be dead honest with him. While you are right that there will be some cleansing, in general the employees can show him what they are talking about in a way that some feedback form just couldn't accomplish. (I must note that even dishing out a feedback form to employees once or twice a year is a giant step for many companies.)
  - utefan001 18y ago
    I am biased, but David Neeleman (JetBlue, now starting Azul) is an amazing CEO. Just a few days ago he was flying around Brazil on his new Azul airline anonymously to verify his employees are implementing the level of customer service he is hoping for. Edit: Compare that to the Washington DC Metro Board of Directors who don't even ride the Metro Trains they are overpaid to "direct".
  - jeroen 18y ago
    A week might be long enough for the employees to get used to his presence and fall back to their normal behaviour. I also expect Bezos to have thought of that and of the alternatives and to have made an informed decision.
brandonkm 18y ago
From the stories I've read over the years on Jeff Bezos, this is perfectly in line with his management style and persona. If it was anyone else I would probably questions motives a bit more, but this seems to simply be wanting to experience the work and environment on the ground level. Its gaining valuable perspective that helps effective CEOs run their companies better.
- fortes 18y ago
  All managers at Amazon above a certain level are required to work in a fulfillment center once a year.
redhex 18y ago
Now, I am wondering how will those IT guys at Amazon can do a A/B test of how effective this move by Jeff Bezos will be.
wolfish 18y ago
I think this is a pretty interesting gesture. It is possible that Mr. Bezos will learn something that will help him improve working conditions and efficiency within the company. But who will be the CEO while he is busy working in the distribution center? It seems like an inefficient use of his time. Does this show a lack of faith in lower management?
- deleted 18y ago
  [deleted]
- wolfish 18y ago
  Instead of downvoting, why not post why you disagree? I think this is a valid line of inquiry.
  - chaosmachine 18y ago
    Wouldn't it be great if people had to provide a reason along with their downvote? Maybe via a little text box that slides out, jQuery style. It would help alleviate the "why am I getting downvoted?" syndrome we all occasionally suffer from.
- jbarciauskas 18y ago
  A good CEO should be able to delegate day to day activities for a week - how else would he ever get to go on vacation? In fact, a good CEO should probably be able to delegate all day to day activities he might be involved in, in case of an emergency, in case he's hit by a bus, or just so he can spend a day thinking strategically.
  - wolfish 18y ago
    Good point. I guess the question is: in the long run will Amazon be better of having Jeff Bezos performing his usual duties as CEO 3/23-3/27 or acquiring first hand the experience of working in a distribution center. The net difference is probably de minimis. Although it does make for good publicity and employee moral. So net-net I think this is a decent one-off gesture, but I don't think it belongs in every CEO's playbook.
goodgoblin 18y ago
I was wondering where Jeffy-B had gone to. I stopped getting personal emails from him a while back and I had started to get worried.
michaelbuckbee 18y ago
Here's an interesting example of the insights and changes he's made as a result his time spent at the fulfillment centers. http://www.shmula.com/987/jeff-bezos-5-why-exercise-root-cause-analysis-cause-and-effect-ishikawa-lean-thinking-six-sigma http://www.shmula.com/987/jeff-bezos-5-why-exercise-root-cau...

81 points by brandonkm 18y ago

sketerpot 18y ago

I was expecting to hear what he learned from the experience.

Zev 18y ago
The week isn't over yet.

catone 18y ago

Admirable, certainly. It's nice to see a CEO who is keen to experience his business from every angle. From observing the workplace of my girlfriend, who has recently worked in retail for a large, national corporation, I can tell that the particular company she works for definitely doesn't. Very often they get instructions about how to rearrange the sales floor that anyone actually working there with the customers would never in a million years think was a good idea -- usually, a few weeks later, they're told to change back to what they were doing. My guess is that's how it goes in most big companies. Eventually, the suits don't touch the nitty gritty parts of the business, and they end up getting way out of touch. That said, I doubt if Bezos, by virtue of the fact that everyone will know who he is, will run into the rumored "sweatshop" conditions at some Amazon distro centers (if those rumors are at all true, which is impossible for anyone who hasn't worked in one to say): http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10123835-93.html http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10123835-93.html EDIT: Also, does Jeff Bezos have a blog? His is one I would really love to read.

dbul 18y ago

Yes! This is what more CEOs of large companies need to do. If you are a CEO, you need to understand what is going on in the company first hand, not by playing whisper down the lane with the chain of command. (This is my philosophy, hopefully reality one day.)

staunch 18y ago
He's going to get a very sanitized version of the experience. What would be really amazing is if he disguised himself and went to work in the warehouse unannounced. Although I'm sure there would be plenty of self righteous outrage if he actually did.
- dbul 18y ago
  The important thing is that he is going to be at the same level as those employees. He can ask them questions such as, "What needs improvement?" He's a bright guy so I would imagine he can figure out a way to make the employees feel comfortable enough to be dead honest with him. While you are right that there will be some cleansing, in general the employees can show him what they are talking about in a way that some feedback form just couldn't accomplish. (I must note that even dishing out a feedback form to employees once or twice a year is a giant step for many companies.)
- utefan001 18y ago
  I am biased, but David Neeleman (JetBlue, now starting Azul) is an amazing CEO. Just a few days ago he was flying around Brazil on his new Azul airline anonymously to verify his employees are implementing the level of customer service he is hoping for. Edit: Compare that to the Washington DC Metro Board of Directors who don't even ride the Metro Trains they are overpaid to "direct".
- jeroen 18y ago
  A week might be long enough for the employees to get used to his presence and fall back to their normal behaviour. I also expect Bezos to have thought of that and of the alternatives and to have made an informed decision.

brandonkm 18y ago

From the stories I've read over the years on Jeff Bezos, this is perfectly in line with his management style and persona. If it was anyone else I would probably questions motives a bit more, but this seems to simply be wanting to experience the work and environment on the ground level. Its gaining valuable perspective that helps effective CEOs run their companies better.

fortes 18y ago
All managers at Amazon above a certain level are required to work in a fulfillment center once a year.

redhex 18y ago

Now, I am wondering how will those IT guys at Amazon can do a A/B test of how effective this move by Jeff Bezos will be.

wolfish 18y ago

I think this is a pretty interesting gesture. It is possible that Mr. Bezos will learn something that will help him improve working conditions and efficiency within the company. But who will be the CEO while he is busy working in the distribution center? It seems like an inefficient use of his time. Does this show a lack of faith in lower management?

deleted 18y ago
[deleted]
wolfish 18y ago
Instead of downvoting, why not post why you disagree? I think this is a valid line of inquiry.
- chaosmachine 18y ago
  Wouldn't it be great if people had to provide a reason along with their downvote? Maybe via a little text box that slides out, jQuery style. It would help alleviate the "why am I getting downvoted?" syndrome we all occasionally suffer from.
jbarciauskas 18y ago
A good CEO should be able to delegate day to day activities for a week - how else would he ever get to go on vacation? In fact, a good CEO should probably be able to delegate all day to day activities he might be involved in, in case of an emergency, in case he's hit by a bus, or just so he can spend a day thinking strategically.
- wolfish 18y ago
  Good point. I guess the question is: in the long run will Amazon be better of having Jeff Bezos performing his usual duties as CEO 3/23-3/27 or acquiring first hand the experience of working in a distribution center. The net difference is probably de minimis. Although it does make for good publicity and employee moral. So net-net I think this is a decent one-off gesture, but I don't think it belongs in every CEO's playbook.

goodgoblin 18y ago

I was wondering where Jeffy-B had gone to. I stopped getting personal emails from him a while back and I had started to get worried.

michaelbuckbee 18y ago

Here's an interesting example of the insights and changes he's made as a result his time spent at the fulfillment centers. http://www.shmula.com/987/jeff-bezos-5-why-exercise-root-cause-analysis-cause-and-effect-ishikawa-lean-thinking-six-sigma http://www.shmula.com/987/jeff-bezos-5-why-exercise-root-cau...