Where Credit Is Due.

After all of the griping I've done lately about work situations, I need to be sure to emphasize that in spite of their faults, I really DO like working with this company at this particular store. They have their quirks to be sure, but over-all this is one of the better places I've worked over the years, and I appreciate being with some really good people.

Granted you'll find the usual aspects of corporate silliness you'll find elsewhere, the one thing that has really impressed me with this company is that they really do make a serious, concerted effort to foster a cooperative, harmonious, successful work environment for the team-members. They have succeeded with that culture here at this company far, far, far better than other places I've worked. I deeply and sincerely appreciate that.

For example: a couple of days ago I clocked in and the Leader On Duty gave me some quick instructions to complete before I got started with my regular tasks. One of the H.R. people was nearby, and she felt that the L.O.D. had been a little too curt with me, so she quickly told him to say "please." It floored me. Never would such considerate thinking have come from people who manage "Little Red" (the South-East based dollar store chain who shall remain nameless, where stogie chomping, hairy knuckled, tattoo ridden neanderthals berate, patronize, and shout at their people.) Here at "Big Red" they actually make the effort to be civilized.

I don't know how long I'll be able to be with them, but when I'm rich and famous, running my own global dominating private equity firm, "Big Red" will be one of my first choices for permanent holdings in common stock.