Sparring With a VP

So I had some fun today with one of my favorite VPs, who's also a corporate board member as he likes to remind people.

Especially amusing to me since I've personally let about 125 employees go as we transition our production from North Carolina to the Dominican Republic.  Yes, my personal belief is that we're at best basically trading dollars, labor for freight.  But ultimately the overhead cut in the US is what's deemed to be the long term benefit.

Round 1:

E-mail asking the question......

VP:  The costs to make in the Dominican has to be less than Mocksville so price should not be an issue is that correct? (no, I didn't edit for punctuation, though a comma or period thrown every now and again might have been nice)

Me:  I don't see us shutting down the DR in favor of Mocksville.

Eh.  I was kind of hoping he'd understand the motive behind the corporate decision to move, but I guess that's asking a lot, you know, for a board member and all.

Round 2:

Same VP via e-mail, addressed to a VP in Chicago, copied to me and two of my customer service staff in Mocksville:

Bill (another VP from Chicago): 

Please give instructions to Mocksville to move [such and such] inventory to Mexico, as it does us no good to hold it in Mocksville.

At this point, it appears to me he's either calling out the VP in front of us if he feels like the VP's not keeping up with his inventory, or he's calling us out in front of the VP insinuating that we don't know what we're doing.  Either way, I don't appreciate his method of communicating the message.

Me:  We received instructions last week.  We just received the goods.  When the next truck leaves, they leave.  Likely Monday or Tuesday.

In the future, if you want someone to instruct us to do something, don't copy us.

Talking around someone is what a fifth grader does.

VP:  Jeffrey, I don't have the foiest idea what you're talking about. 

I'm assuming the "gg" is missing there.  Slippery key, obviously.

Me:  I'm not surprised in the least.

VP:  I am as dumb as your personality sucks.

Me:  As smart as you tell us you are, that must be a high compliment.

I relayed this story to a Exec VP over a beer later in the evening.  He had a hard time not laughing at the whole exchange.  So I remarked, "Well, clearly, I was never cut out to be a VP or a board member."

In case you're wondering, T-minus 15 working days until I head west.....

Be well, all.