Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

Michaell · December 2016

Thanks, everyone, for the quick and timely feedback. A few additional details to help flesh out the situation:

1. The person I talked with yesterday is my current direct manager; the person I would report to if I took the position is currently a dotted line 'functional' manager.
2. I would be replacing someone who left the organization earlier this year. They posted for, and interviewed, several candidates to backfill the departure, but decided against it as the money is being earmarked for another program within the organization.
3. At the moment, these 11 people report, directly or indirectly, to the person who would be my new boss. The idea is that I would take over the day-to-day responsibility for these folks, leaving my boss the time to focus on more strategic issues.
4. Travel? I'm doing some already; could be more, but not terribly likely.
5. Relocation? No, the office in Denver is planned to expand greatly in the future. I had a chance to talk with our CFO earlier this week; he indicated that the company has all but stopped hiring in the Bay Area HQ and are redirecting all new hiring to Denver (and other regional offices)
6. Individual contributor vs. manager - in the past, I've been content to be a 'worker bee', but with this new company, I see so many possibilities for advancement. While I am on the downside of my career - I turned 53 a couple weeks ago - I'm finding a bit of a spark for taking on more responsibility and having a bigger impact on the success of our organization.

You guys are the best - truly.

qbrozen · December 2016

graphicguy said:
So, there was a recall on the CTS....something about the wiring harness on some cars being too close to another component and that might cause the wires to "chafe". That meant there would be a possibility that the insulation on the wires would get worn away from the "chafing".

Although I noticed no ill effects, mine indeed had the insulation wearing away, pretty dramatically in the ~18 mos I've had it.

As they always do, they put me in a loaner, this time an XT5. I know these SUVs aren't quite my cup of tea, but I see an awful lot of them on the roads, some someone likes them.

Not a bad ride at all. It doesn't handle like the CTS, but it's not a numb floating SUV that I've ridden/driven in the past.

It's a '17 and they've made another leap in performance with CUE (even faster than in the CTS, which in '16 got a major performance bump. Steering wheel is nice and fat, just like I like them. The "beer tap" electronic shifter is an answer to a question that was never asked. Not sure how they work in BMWs, but in the XT5, you pull it rearward for Driver (not real intuitive as I would expect pulling rearward means reverse). Pushing forward and to the left is for Reverse (why two steps?). But, hitting the P for park is a one button operation.

Not sure how many engineering man hours Cadillac spent on the shifter, but they solved nothing and made things more complex. On the flip side, shifts are quick and smooth. It's quick to shift down for more "playful" driving.

I like staying in "Sport" mode, but the car defaults to "Touring" upon every restart.

In "touring", steering is a bit too light for my tastes, and there seems to be a fair amount of understeer. "Sport" mode tightens everything up and the ride firms up also. The ride is never harsh, however. And, it's clear Caddy did a lot of work on the suspension tuning, as it's impressive the way it straddles ride vs handling. I couldn't upset the suspension driving some pretty significant broken pavement yesterday.

That said, it's relatively quick. It handles confidently. At least the one I'm driving has all the safety and convenience options you could want. I tried the "auto park" feature last night. Pretty nifty.

Really comfortable seats with high quality leather. Aluminum and a (real) light wood interior with dash stitching throughout.

I think I've mentioned before, I won't buy another car without Android Auto or Apple Car Play. The XT5 has both. Again voice recognition from Apple is worlds better than in any other car I've ever tried.

Caddy has done a really nice job

Not sure what these sell for, but I would consider it if I were looking for a lux SUV from the Germans or the likes of Lexus/Infiniti/Acura.

How is the seat? The only thing that stopped me from buying the SRX was the seat. They tried to pull off the BMW sport seat thigh extension, but unsuccessfully

stickguy · December 2016

Michael, nice feather in your cap at least being considered so soon. And your comment reminds me how stale I've gotten. I really need to get off my duff and look for a new job, before it's too late!

Michaell · December 2016

stickguy said:
Michael, nice feather in your cap at least being considered so soon. And your comment reminds me how stale I've gotten. I really need to get off my duff and look for a new job, before it's too late!

stick, if there's one thing I learned from my experiences this year, is that you should always be networking. I hadn't had an "external" interview for 20+ years before this past summer, so I was beyond stale.

I was fortunate to work with a great outplacement company who had the resources and skills to teach me about my resume, my LinkedIn profile, how to network, etc. I've got a lot of those materials on my laptop and I'm happy to share them if you're interested.

stickguy · December 2016

Thanks. I wouldn't mind that at all. Right after the holidays I plan to tweak my resume for current position, and start trolling.

graphicguy · December 2016

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:
So, there was a recall on the CTS....something about the wiring harness on some cars being too close to another component and that might cause the wires to "chafe". That meant there would be a possibility that the insulation on the wires would get worn away from the "chafing".

Although I noticed no ill effects, mine indeed had the insulation wearing away, pretty dramatically in the ~18 mos I've had it.

As they always do, they put me in a loaner, this time an XT5. I know these SUVs aren't quite my cup of tea, but I see an awful lot of them on the roads, some someone likes them.

Not a bad ride at all. It doesn't handle like the CTS, but it's not a numb floating SUV that I've ridden/driven in the past.

It's a '17 and they've made another leap in performance with CUE (even faster than in the CTS, which in '16 got a major performance bump. Steering wheel is nice and fat, just like I like them. The "beer tap" electronic shifter is an answer to a question that was never asked. Not sure how they work in BMWs, but in the XT5, you pull it rearward for Driver (not real intuitive as I would expect pulling rearward means reverse). Pushing forward and to the left is for Reverse (why two steps?). But, hitting the P for park is a one button operation.

Not sure how many engineering man hours Cadillac spent on the shifter, but they solved nothing and made things more complex. On the flip side, shifts are quick and smooth. It's quick to shift down for more "playful" driving.

I like staying in "Sport" mode, but the car defaults to "Touring" upon every restart.

In "touring", steering is a bit too light for my tastes, and there seems to be a fair amount of understeer. "Sport" mode tightens everything up and the ride firms up also. The ride is never harsh, however. And, it's clear Caddy did a lot of work on the suspension tuning, as it's impressive the way it straddles ride vs handling. I couldn't upset the suspension driving some pretty significant broken pavement yesterday.

That said, it's relatively quick. It handles confidently. At least the one I'm driving has all the safety and convenience options you could want. I tried the "auto park" feature last night. Pretty nifty.

Really comfortable seats with high quality leather. Aluminum and a (real) light wood interior with dash stitching throughout.

I think I've mentioned before, I won't buy another car without Android Auto or Apple Car Play. The XT5 has both. Again voice recognition from Apple is worlds better than in any other car I've ever tried.

Caddy has done a really nice job

Not sure what these sell for, but I would consider it if I were looking for a lux SUV from the Germans or the likes of Lexus/Infiniti/Acura.
How is the seat? The only thing that stopped me from buying the SRX was the seat. They tried to pull off the BMW sport seat thigh extension, but unsuccessfully

Q....I liked the seats, a lot. They remind me of the seats in my Acura TLs, and I liked those a lot, too. XT5 seats probably aren't bolstered as much as the TLs. But, they were certainly quite comfy and allowed for spirited driving while holding you in the seat. Not sure if there's a thigh extension as I only did some quick trips in it. But, will test them out more as the Caddy dealer said the part is on backorder for my CTS, and they don't want me to drive it with the prospect of the wiring being exposed.

Prognosis is the XT5 will be staying with me through Christmas, maybe until the New Year.

Need to get all of my hauling duties done while I have it.

PS....it only had 10 miles on it when they put me in it. So, it's brand new.

stickguy · December 2016

Speaking of seats, after doing 1,300 miles last weekend in the RDX, that car really does have nice seats. Good long haul comfort.

And after getting back in my relatively low slung car, I really do appreciate something that sits a little bit higher.

Michaell · December 2016

stickguy said:
Thanks. I wouldn't mind that at all. Right after the holidays I plan to tweak my resume for current position, and start trolling.

PM me directly, then. Happy to have a conversation with you, as well. My company is shut down all next week, so I'm hoping to get in some R&R.

I've got three books stacked up, waiting.

imidazol97 · December 2016

graphicguy said:
... in the XT5, you pull it rearward for Driver (not real intuitive as I would expect pulling rearward means reverse). Pushing forward and to the left is for Reverse (why two steps?). But, hitting the P for park is a one button operation.

I like staying in "Sport" mode, but the car defaults to "Touring" upon every restart.

Nice review. "Caddy has done a really nice job."

I can't picture that shifter setup! I know I didn't like the knob in the c300 my neighbor had. What's wrong with tried and true handle to hold onto?

Is the default setting for the mode changeable in the menus on the CUE? I know almost everything can be adjusted on MyLink in my Malibu. Even the afterblow as well as the automatic humidity clearing on the HVAC.

qbrozen · December 2016

I strongly suggest NOT taking the position without knowing about compensation up front. I have worked for too many places that thought they could just keep changing responsibilities and titles with merely the promise of "we'll remember this at review time" and then when review time came along, crying poverty.

berri · December 2016

There is monetary compensation and there is career development. Have to sort it all out given the organization, personnel, potential and individual career goals, including is my future at this organization or somewhere else down the line, which then also entails your resume building. Seldom an easy decision. Just got to decide and roll with it.

driver100 · December 2016

Michaell: Networking is the key to success in business today. Even with our own company, all the biggest steps came about because of the people we met and talked to. That opened the door to new opportunities and ideas.

One other hint: Don't ask for an executive jet. :@

But, wonderful opportunity and it could it could actually be a stimulating challenge.

graphicguy · December 2016

imidazol97 said:

graphicguy said:
... in the XT5, you pull it rearward for Driver (not real intuitive as I would expect pulling rearward means reverse). Pushing forward and to the left is for Reverse (why two steps?). But, hitting the P for park is a one button operation.

I like staying in "Sport" mode, but the car defaults to "Touring" upon every restart.
Nice review. "Caddy has done a really nice job."

I can't picture that shifter setup! I know I didn't like the knob in the c300 my neighbor had. What's wrong with tried and true handle to hold onto?

Is the default setting for the mode changeable in the menus on the CUE? I know almost everything can be adjusted on MyLink in my Malibu. Even the afterblow as well as the automatic humidity clearing on the HVAC.

Imid...driver's setting for Touring, Sport, etc on the XT5 is via hard buttons on the console, just like my CTS. The difference is, once I set it on the CTS (I keep it in Sport) it stays on that setting. On the XT5, it reverts back to "Touring" every time you start the vehicle. Maybe there's a setting in CUE to keep it set where I want it. I'll have to explore more. My CTS doesn't have a setting to keep previous choices. Maybe the year newer XT5 does.

I know I was disappointed in BMW's "beer tap" shifter as well since it seems illogical. Same goes for the XT5. I don't like it, either and for the same reason.

Maybe you get used to it.

I don't get it. What's wrong with PRND and a button on the top for Sport shifting? Or, using the paddle shifters to change gears manually?

stickguy · December 2016

qbrozen said:
I strongly suggest NOT taking the position without knowing about compensation up front. I have worked for too many places that thought they could just keep changing responsibilities and titles with merely the promise of "we'll remember this at review time" and then when review time came along, crying poverty.

My company is famous for that.

ab348 · December 2016

graphicguy said:

Q....I liked the seats, a lot. They remind me of the seats in my Acura TLs, and I liked those a lot, too. XT5 seats probably aren't bolstered as much as the TLs. But, they were certainly quite comfy and allowed for spirited driving while holding you in the seat. Not sure if there's a thigh extension as I only did some quick trips in it. But, will test them out more as the Caddy dealer said the part is on backorder for my CTS, and they don't want me to drive it with the prospect of the wiring being exposed.

Prognosis is the XT5 will be staying with me through Christmas, maybe until the New Year.

Need to get all of my hauling duties done while I have it.

PS....it only had 10 miles on it when they put me in it. So, it's brand new.

Good review, GG - you might recall that I was given an XT5 for a day last month as a service loaner as well. You did a more comprehensive review than I did. I wrote at the time:

It tried to kill me the first few times I got in and out because someone had set the memory features to move the seat forward and put the outside mirrors into useless positions when you started it. I was able to fix that. The electronic gearshift takes a lot of getting used to and I don't see the point of it. It took a whole page of the owners manual to explain how to put it into neutral at a car wash, and I still couldn't figure it out. Even shifting into reverse is painful. Foolish. It also has a slight rattle in the headliner or sunroof which would irritate me if I was the owner. Other than those things it is nice enough and would probably suit me better in a different color combo.

It doesn't seem quick but it actually is. A few times I found myself zooming along much faster than I thought because it didn't feel like I was going fast. It is more car than I need but I can see why some people like SUVs in this size. No idea what this is worth but I'd guess the sticker is somewhere between 50K and 60K Cdn. I'd pass, but it is interesting to have it for the day.

I can't see myself ever wanting one but it is nice enough and likely hits the mark for its target market. I still do not understand the rationale for that damn shifter though.

andres3 · December 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:
Engines have always been BMW's strong suit.

Took them a long time to join in on the HP wars in the late 90's and early part of this Century though. When Honda came out with the 240 HP V6 in '02 for the '03 models wasn't the 330i still 225 HP? I think the '06 330i finally topped 250 HP.

28firefighter · December 2016

qbrozen said:
I strongly suggest NOT taking the position without knowing about compensation up front. I have worked for too many places that thought they could just keep changing responsibilities and titles with merely the promise of "we'll remember this at review time" and then when review time came along, crying poverty.

I agree with this - and I believe it is true for both management and non-management roles alike.

PF_Flyer · December 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:
Oh yeah, real hot item those old Sebrings.....so popular that Chrysler stopped making them in order to cash in on the scarcity.

It's amazing. There seems to be demand for old ANYTHINGS

Mr_Shiftright · December 2016

andres3 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:
Engines have always been BMW's strong suit.
Took them a long time to join in on the HP wars in the late 90's and early part of this Century though. When Honda came out with the 240 HP V6 in '02 for the '03 models wasn't the 330i still 225 HP? I think the '06 330i finally topped 250 HP.

I mean going back before Honda was even making cars.

andres3 · December 2016

ab348 said:

graphicguy said:

Q....I liked the seats, a lot. They remind me of the seats in my Acura TLs, and I liked those a lot, too. XT5 seats probably aren't bolstered as much as the TLs. But, they were certainly quite comfy and allowed for spirited driving while holding you in the seat. Not sure if there's a thigh extension as I only did some quick trips in it. But, will test them out more as the Caddy dealer said the part is on backorder for my CTS, and they don't want me to drive it with the prospect of the wiring being exposed.

Prognosis is the XT5 will be staying with me through Christmas, maybe until the New Year.

Need to get all of my hauling duties done while I have it.

PS....it only had 10 miles on it when they put me in it. So, it's brand new.
Good review, GG - you might recall that I was given an XT5 for a day last month as a service loaner as well. You did a more comprehensive review than I did. I wrote at the time:
It tried to kill me the first few times I got in and out because someone had set the memory features to move the seat forward and put the outside mirrors into useless positions when you started it. I was able to fix that. The electronic gearshift takes a lot of getting used to and I don't see the point of it. It took a whole page of the owners manual to explain how to put it into neutral at a car wash, and I still couldn't figure it out. Even shifting into reverse is painful. Foolish. It also has a slight rattle in the headliner or sunroof which would irritate me if I was the owner. Other than those things it is nice enough and would probably suit me better in a different color combo.

It doesn't seem quick but it actually is. A few times I found myself zooming along much faster than I thought because it didn't feel like I was going fast. It is more car than I need but I can see why some people like SUVs in this size. No idea what this is worth but I'd guess the sticker is somewhere between 50K and 60K Cdn. I'd pass, but it is interesting to have it for the day.

I can't see myself ever wanting one but it is nice enough and likely hits the mark for its target market. I still do not understand the rationale for that damn shifter though.

The rattle you reported worries me; how many miles were on your loaner XT5; GG's only had 15 miles.

ab348 · December 2016

andres3 said:

The rattle you reported worries me; how many miles were on your loaner XT5; GG's only had 15 miles.

Mine had about 1000 miles. It seemed like the typical sunroof/sunshade rattle. My 2011 Regal had the same and it was related to the sunshade, which rattled when fully pushed back. Pull it forward a couple of inches and hey presto, no rattle.

graphicguy · December 2016

Service manager showed my how to use the shifter, which shouldn't be that difficult.

Last BMW I drove had the same confounding shifter. I don't know what this nets the car manufacturers? Is it cheaper? I've never heard of anyone who complained about the simple shifters in cars that used plain PRND selectors.

Again, the answer to a question no one asked.

I was pretty impressed with how solid the XT5 is. No, rattles, at all. Doors close with a quality "thunk", too.

Again, build quality and quality materials are a lot like my CTS....which is a good thing.

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

P

Michaell said:
Posted in CCBA, as well:

I need some expert advise, and who better to turn to than my virtual friends here at Edmunds.

After almost 5 months in my current role, I was approached today by my manager and was asked if I was interested in taking on a management position within the company. I'd have 11 employees reporting to me.

My entire career, I've been what's known as an "individual contributor" - working for others. I've managed projects, but not people.

I'm excited to take on the extra responsibility, but am trying to come up with a way to artfully ask for a raise to go along with the new position.

I know many of you are managers, or have had similar conversations with employees who are being promoted. What works, and what doesn't?

You could just ask if the increased responsibility comes with increased pay. Tell them the way you want to do it would require more work and longer hours (probably will) and you want to be sure you don't lose interest.

abacomike · December 2016

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:
So where is the genius who can figure out the mid point between Orlando, Jacksonville, and Bradenton?
The idea of "midpoint" is not what's needed because of Orlando's location. Considering that Orlando is "between" Bradenton and Jacksonville, a solution in terms of easy driving would be somewhere near Ocala.

Equidistant from all three would be in the Gulf of Mexico about 20 miles west of Suwannee. So there's no solution where everyone drives an equal amount of miles.

OK, let's start over. Somewhere switched Miami for Jacksonville...must have been a senior moment*. So, let's do this again. We need to find the most convenient place where Snake in Orlando, Mike in Miami, and Driver who invited himself for lunch starts out in Bradenton. It has to be in a major city, approx equal number of miles for each, and they have to have a Cheese Factory or similar fine restaurant.

I think Ft. Myers was a good spot. For me, it's about 150 miles. Driver, I don't live in Miami - I live 50 miles north of Miami in a far northwestern suburb of Ft. Lauderdale, about 3 miles south of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County.

abacomike · December 2016

PF_Flyer said:

Mr_Shiftright said:
Oh yeah, real hot item those old Sebrings.....so popular that Chrysler stopped making them in order to cash in on the scarcity.
It's amazing. There seems to be demand for old ANYTHINGS

PF, I wish your comment about a, "...demand for old ANYTHINGS..." was applicable to guys like me who are single, looking for companionship, and eager to have some fun!

abacomike · December 2016

28firefighter said:

qbrozen said:
I strongly suggest NOT taking the position without knowing about compensation up front. I have worked for too many places that thought they could just keep changing responsibilities and titles with merely the promise of "we'll remember this at review time" and then when review time came along, crying poverty.
I agree with this - and I believe it is true for both management and non-management roles alike.

Ditto! However, exercising "subtleties" when addressing the salary issue is exceedingly important. As I stated in my post to Michaell, it's important to show management you are intrigued and interested in the opportunity to a much greater extent than needing to extract "salary" information too prematurely.

abacomike · December 2016

I prefer the "shift" lever in the Mercedes Benz vehicles (a lever just behind the right side of the steering wheel) over the shifter being in front part of the console. Let me explain why. Firstly, it's all electronic anyway so the shifter no longer "has to be" on the right side of the driver in front of the center console. By placing the gear selector behind the steering wheel and on the steering stalk, it make room for a larger console storage area. My Mercedes Benz vehicles all have a center console storage area that is twice or three times the size and depth of the one in my new BMW.

The same is true for my parking brake. Along with about 10-12 buttons and switches on the console to the right, left, behind and in front of the gear selector, there is an electronic parking brake button/lever. You lift it to set the parking brake and lift again to disengage it. A green light appears in the switch/level when the parking brake is activated. I think I first encountered this electronic parking brake in the Lexus GS I had in 2013.

With so many things being "electronically controlled" in a vehicle, I wonder what happens when the battery goes or an alternator malfunctions? That would seem to be an interesting situation, wouldn't it?

driver100 · December 2016

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:
So where is the genius who can figure out the mid point between Orlando, Jacksonville, and Bradenton?
The idea of "midpoint" is not what's needed because of Orlando's location. Considering that Orlando is "between" Bradenton and Jacksonville, a solution in terms of easy driving would be somewhere near Ocala.

Equidistant from all three would be in the Gulf of Mexico about 20 miles west of Suwannee. So there's no solution where everyone drives an equal amount of miles.

OK, let's start over. Somewhere switched Miami for Jacksonville...must have been a senior moment*. So, let's do this again. We need to find the most convenient place where Snake in Orlando, Mike in Miami, and Driver who invited himself for lunch starts out in Bradenton. It has to be in a major city, approx equal number of miles for each, and they have to have a Cheese Factory or similar fine restaurant.

I think Ft. Myers was a good spot. For me, it's about 150 miles. Driver, I don't live in Miami - I live 50 miles north of Miami in a far northwestern suburb of Ft. Lauderdale, about 3 miles south of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County.

Ah, that area is like Miami to us Tamapanians. But yeh, Fort Meyers sounds about right. Now, we just have to have Snake make good on his promise.of buying us lunch....well, buying you lunch, I just assumed he would like to take me too.

driver100 · December 2016

I liked the beer tap shifter in my 2012 bmw. The old style on the console shifter was from a time when shifters were mechanical. It was time to reinvent them since they are electronic, and don't have to fit in a slot.

The first time I used it it was very confusing. But, once mastered it becomes simple and makes more sense in a way. The shifter in my E400 is like the one Mike mentioned, it is like a small stalk to the right of the steering wheel. Makes sense and is easy to use, seems a bit dainty to me....not like a beer tap - now that's my idea of a real man's shifter!

driver100 · December 2016

I am enjoying driving the C250 quite a bit. Kind of refreshing not having all the electronics and it is a more natural driving experience than say the E400, where you are more isolated from the road.

I like the larger seats and extra room in the E400 for long trips, but, for most driving the smaller car is actually more enjoyable....handling and steering are more agile,

driver100 · December 2016

oldfarmer50 said:
P
Michaell said:
Posted in CCBA, as well:

I need some expert advise, and who better to turn to than my virtual friends here at Edmunds.

After almost 5 months in my current role, I was approached today by my manager and was asked if I was interested in taking on a management position within the company. I'd have 11 employees reporting to me.

My entire career, I've been what's known as an "individual contributor" - working for others. I've managed projects, but not people.

I'm excited to take on the extra responsibility, but am trying to come up with a way to artfully ask for a raise to go along with the new position.

I know many of you are managers, or have had similar conversations with employees who are being promoted. What works, and what doesn't?
You could just ask if the increased responsibility comes with increased pay. Tell them the way you want to do it would require more work and longer hours (probably will) and you want to be sure you don't lose interest.

That has happened to me too. One guy left the publishing company I was with so I was given some of his territory. I wanted the work and extra challenge, but they knew I wasn't going to leave, so they didn't pay me more. It paid off big time though because I loved the extra work - included Buffalo NY - it made me more valuable for a number of years (made my job more secure), and I learned a lot which I put to use when making my own business. Sometimes what you learn is more valuable than the money.

berri · December 2016

Michaell is new at the firm, they are obviously interested in him and his potential, so saying no is kind of like possibly pulling yourself out of future prospects. If you are not sure you are ready, discuss your concerns with your boss.

stickguy · December 2016

well, it is important to consider the people management aspect. This is significant for a lot of folks, who can and will take on more responsibility, but don't want to deal with that aspect.

Michaell · December 2016

Again, thanks for the feedback. I'm taking it all in.

This is as much a career advancement opportunity for me as it is helping out my boss by getting some of his responsibilities of his plate. He already has a senior management team of about 5 people (myself included).

I had a preliminary conversation about this about 6 weeks ago, but the talk yesterday was a more formal presentation of the opportunity.

I, too, am surprised I've been considered for this after so short a time with them.

I will absolutely find out if the management duties are in addition to my current role - I suspect that it is.

abacomike · December 2016

berri said:
Michaell is new at the firm, they are obviously interested in him and his potential, so saying no is kind of like possibly pulling yourself out of future prospects. If you are not sure you are ready, discuss your concerns with your boss.

To be honest, berry, whenever I was offered a promotion in my educational career, I never thought I was ready to take on the added/new responsibilities and stress that usually go along with promotions.

First I was a teacher. Then, I was offered a lateral promotion as teacher/team leader - a kind of supervisor over a team of teachers and teacher aides for a group of about 120 students. The principal of the school had to convince me to take the position - it amounted to a bit less teaching responsibilities and more of a supervisory role - making sure teachers had their supplies, instructional equipment and materials, ordering, etc. There was a slight stipend involved in the amount of about $1000 a year which was quite a bit of money back in the 70's.

About a year and a half later, I was approached by the assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum and instruction. There were some serious problems in one of the schools and he wanted me to take over as assistant principal since he had just fired the existing assistant principal. I really didn't want to walk into that hornet's nest - it involved union problems, condition of the building itself (cleanliness, etc.) and it was headed by a principal who was scheduled to retire in 12 months. I told him I was very happy where I was - but he talked me into taking the job (actually, it didn't pay that much more than I was making at that time - about $2000 a year. When I got there, nothing buy headaches and union issues, custodial issues, teacher issues, etc. But, I guess the assistant superintendent was correct - I was ready for the job and within 6 months, I had things under control. I had to fight the existing principal continually - he was incompetent - but everyone knew that.

About a month before the existing principal retired, I was approached by the central administration and was offered the position as principal. The school board approved the promotion and my salary went up 30%. Eventually, after another 3 years, the school was marching to the tune of central administration and was beginning to be considered one of the best schools in the district. As a result, I was offered an opportunity to help design, staff, and be the principal of a brand new school. The rest is history.

The major differences between my situation back then and Michaell's situation is that salaries were preset by the School Board - all principals made the same money, assistant principals made the same money, and all team leaders made the same money. There was no negotiation or a reason to ask about salary.

ab348 · December 2016

Michaell said:

I will absolutely find out if the management duties are in addition to my current role - I suspect that it is.

My last promotion before I retired was to take over the responsibilities from a VP who was let go. I was already in the Exec suite so while there was a bit of a pay bump it never came close to compensating me for doing his job as well as my own. In addition I inherited a bunch of people that were hired into the wrong roles and really could not replace them without paying big severances because they all had excellent performance appraisals from him and in a few cases long service with the company. It was largely a no-win for me and after a couple of years I knew I had to get out of there before it killed me.

If I was younger and could have convinced myself I was going to be there for a longer time I would have cleaned house and built the whole thing over again. My successor has not done that and from what I see and hear they are still suffering from that same problem.

fintail · December 2016

I like the MB column shift too. The car isn't pretending to be sporty, why put it on the console? It frees up a lot of room and makes the front seating area feel more open and airy. Now I have two MBs more than a half century apart with column shift levers. I doubt the umbrella handle parking brake on the old car will make a comeback, however.

graphicguy · December 2016

Yeah...I think we've all been down that road if you've been in the workplace long enough. Mine was similar to yours AB. Promoted to VP with the understanding I was next in line to be Pres. Well, unless you have it in writing, it means nothing. Was passed over by the board twice....each time with the promise "you get the promotion next", or "the other person has a specific skill you don't have and it fits to what we need right now".

After watching the company flounder after the other two Presidents ran the company in the ground, with no chance to redeem it, they finally offered me the position. It was a job in which failure was the only option. I turned it down and bolted. Company went under 7 months later.

Would I or could I have done a better job? You never know until you do it, but thought I could.

Ended up with my present company, with the prospect of becoming part of exec staff nowhere in sight. But, I am more satisfied in what I'm doing and with the prospect most years, to make more than I did as a VP.

Micheal....sounds like you like your current company. No harm in questioning things like salary bump, clear definition of responsibilities, etc. Heck, I'd want all of that in writing, anyway. That's the professional way to do things. I would think your company would want it that way, too.

cdnpinhead · December 2016

I work in what used to be a company run by engineers. Engineers often aren't good people people. It's the Peter Principle thing, in that an excellent individual contributor may turn out to be a horrible manager of people.

Or not -- there are those who can do both, and all nine of them could get together in a small bar. Seriously, the point is that, if one has the ability to do the job AND help others in the lower echelons do theirs better, then you're on a rocket to the top, so long as you keep those up higher advised of the realities of trying to spin lots of plates. There are only so many hours in the day.

Now I work for a company run by ignorant bean-counters, so it's all relative.

Either way, best of luck in however this turns out.

ab348 · December 2016

graphicguy said:
Yeah...I think we've all been down that road if you've been in the workplace long enough. Mine was similar to yours AB. Promoted to VP with the understanding I was next in line to be Pres. Well, unless you have it in writing, it means nothing. Was passed over by the board twice....each time with the promise "you get the promotion next", or "the other person has a specific skill you don't have and it fits to what we need right now".

After watching the company flounder after the other two Presidents ran the company in the ground, with no chance to redeem it, they finally offered me the position. It was a job in which failure was the only option. I turned it down and bolted. Company went under 7 months later.

Would I or could I have done a better job? You never know until you do it, but thought I could.

In my case I reported to the Board as their man on the Exec team. I liked that, it gave me a bit of freedom to be candid and offer a different perspective than that on management on certain issues. In turn they appreciated that honesty. But I never had any desire or illusion I could be Prez, given the amount of schmoozing and entertaining that involved. Until...

One day after the guy had been in the job for 5 years, the Board was having difficulty signing the Prez to a new contract and I gather he made noises he might leave. The Vice-Chair of the Board was a very senior guy out of NYC who I really respected, and he visited me in my office to tell me what was happening and saying that the Board wanted me to take the job, at least for a while, if the Prez walked, I was stunned. When I expressed that, the fellow said that they all thought I could do it just as well, some things better and some things maybe not, and that their guy had not really set the world on fire. I couldn't argue with that last part. He was a strange choice from the beginning and hard to get inspired by.

That made me think about things differently and I began to realize I could do the job quite easily. I would do it differently than the Prez did but it was well within my capabilities. That also made me look at his performance differently and I began to realize he was awful at a bunch of the things you'd expect someone in his position to do well. That whole experience really changed my perception of the guy, not for the better.

In the end he got his new deal and is still there years later. People I talk to there tell me he is really coasting now. He recently anointed his heir-apparent, a marketing guy like him who was hired 5 or so years back. The funny thing is that none of the other execs there have any use for this guy. It is quite remarkable. I didn't like him either so it isn't a surprise but the fact that the Prez was so oblivious to his exec's views is really astounding to me. I find it odd the Board is apparently going along with it. They have had some turnover themselves and the new members are significantly weaker than some of those who departed.

snakeweasel · December 2016

andres3 said:

I don't know if "harder" is the right word. Yes, it takes a bit more room to come to a stop if your going faster, and yes it takes a bit more room to slalom around obstacles when you are going faster, all things taken into account by any trained driver paying attention to their driving as they don't just randomly drive fast on every street in every situation. You go fast where it is safe to do so.

Actually it takes a lot more room to come to a stop if you are going faster. A basic rule in physics is that the force an object exerts increases by the square of its increase in speed. This means that a car doing 60 MPH is exerting 4 times as much force than a car doing 30. 4 times the force requires 4 times the force to stop it or in other words 4 times the distance.

Another example is a car doing 70 MPH is going 40% faster than a car doing 50 MPH, but would require almost twice the distance to stop.

andres3 said:
It is safe to go fast where those risks of "losing control" become negligible. At some point the risks of time on the road going slow begins to more than offset the risks you mention.

I have always said that there is a trade off in time saved vs safety. But you also have to remember that there is a diminishing rate of return with regard to saving time with higher speeds. Each increase of 1 MPH saves less time than the previous increase of 1 MPH. Yet the increase is risk stays the same.

andres3 said:
That being said, I am all for better driver education and better safety-related (rather than revenue related) traffic enforcement. I'm also for infrastructure improvements that increase the amount of real estate it is safe to travel at high speeds upon.

The only problem with infrastructure improvements that increase the amount of real estate where it is safe to travel high speeds on is we don't need to increase that real estate. Roads where it is safe to travel high speeds on are usually rural interstates that have light traffic. Where we need to expand roads are the heavily traveled roads and with the congestion it is not safe to travel at high speeds.

snakeweasel · December 2016

abacomike said:

snakeweasel said:

abacomike said:

andres3 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

Does it say other things, like;
"I think we need gas Mike"
"Let's get a car wash Mike"
"Do you wanna coffee Mike?"
"Hi Mike, I am Christine"
"Don't even think of trading me in.....Mike"

That's funny, driver. What I am trying to get used to is the active blind spot assist - the steering wheel and brakes take control of the car if I begin to enter a lane occupied by another vehicle. It gives back control to me once the danger has passed. This is as close to an autonomous vehicle I have ever driven. The heads up display even show the legal speed limit for any road or highway I am driving on.
I can just see it now "But your Honor, the heads-up display told me the speed limit was 70!"

You know - I was thinking about that on I-595 coming home today. It showed a speed limit of 75 when I knew darn well it is 65. Obviously some kind of gremlin in the system - we don't have a 75 mph speed limit anywhere in the State of Florida.

My question is does it work using GPS and a database? if it does then the database can be woefully wrong. I know GPS systems that I have used that have the speed limit on them tend to either be wrong on where speed limits change or are outdated with old speed limits.

Snake, there has never been a 75 mph speed limit anywhere within 200 miles of Interstate 595. I-75 is 70 mph. Even across Alligator Alley it's 70 mph and nothing lives out there except a few animals, birds, and some small Native American tribes.

That last one is sort of confusing. By "small Native American tribes" do you mean tribes where there are few members or do you mean tribes of small Native Americans?

snakeweasel · December 2016

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:
So where is the genius who can figure out the mid point between Orlando, Jacksonville, and Bradenton?
The idea of "midpoint" is not what's needed because of Orlando's location. Considering that Orlando is "between" Bradenton and Jacksonville, a solution in terms of easy driving would be somewhere near Ocala.

Equidistant from all three would be in the Gulf of Mexico about 20 miles west of Suwannee. So there's no solution where everyone drives an equal amount of miles.

OK, let's start over. Somewhere switched Miami for Jacksonville...must have been a senior moment*. So, let's do this again. We need to find the most convenient place where Snake in Orlando, Mike in Miami, and Driver who invited himself for lunch starts out in Bradenton. It has to be in a major city, approx equal number of miles for each, and they have to have a Cheese Factory or similar fine restaurant.

Wait, what? The Cheese Cake Factory (I presume that's what you ment) is a fine restaurant? Since when?

snakeweasel · December 2016

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:
So where is the genius who can figure out the mid point between Orlando, Jacksonville, and Bradenton?
The idea of "midpoint" is not what's needed because of Orlando's location. Considering that Orlando is "between" Bradenton and Jacksonville, a solution in terms of easy driving would be somewhere near Ocala.

Equidistant from all three would be in the Gulf of Mexico about 20 miles west of Suwannee. So there's no solution where everyone drives an equal amount of miles.

OK, let's start over. Somewhere switched Miami for Jacksonville...must have been a senior moment*. So, let's do this again. We need to find the most convenient place where Snake in Orlando, Mike in Miami, and Driver who invited himself for lunch starts out in Bradenton. It has to be in a major city, approx equal number of miles for each, and they have to have a Cheese Factory or similar fine restaurant.

I think Ft. Myers was a good spot. For me, it's about 150 miles. Driver, I don't live in Miami - I live 50 miles north of Miami in a far northwestern suburb of Ft. Lauderdale, about 3 miles south of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County.
Ah, that area is like Miami to us Tamapanians. But yeh, Fort Meyers sounds about right. Now, we just have to have Snake make good on his promise.of buying us lunch....well, buying you lunch, I just assumed he would like to take me too.

Wait, "us"? When did I mention anyone else but Mike?

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

stickguy said:
Michael, nice feather in your cap at least being considered so soon. And your comment reminds me how stale I've gotten. I really need to get off my duff and look for a new job, before it's too late!

In about 6 months you can have my job. You even get to toot the horn.

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

graphicguy said:

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:
So, there was a recall on the CTS....something about the wiring harness on some cars being too close to another component and that might cause the wires to "chafe". That meant there would be a possibility that the insulation on the wires would get worn away from the "chafing".

Although I noticed no ill effects, mine indeed had the insulation wearing away, pretty dramatically in the ~18 mos I've had it.

As they always do, they put me in a loaner, this time an XT5. I know these SUVs aren't quite my cup of tea, but I see an awful lot of them on the roads, some someone likes them.

Not a bad ride at all. It doesn't handle like the CTS, but it's not a numb floating SUV that I've ridden/driven in the past.

It's a '17 and they've made another leap in performance with CUE (even faster than in the CTS, which in '16 got a major performance bump. Steering wheel is nice and fat, just like I like them. The "beer tap" electronic shifter is an answer to a question that was never asked. Not sure how they work in BMWs, but in the XT5, you pull it rearward for Driver (not real intuitive as I would expect pulling rearward means reverse). Pushing forward and to the left is for Reverse (why two steps?). But, hitting the P for park is a one button operation.

Not sure how many engineering man hours Cadillac spent on the shifter, but they solved nothing and made things more complex. On the flip side, shifts are quick and smooth. It's quick to shift down for more "playful" driving.

I like staying in "Sport" mode, but the car defaults to "Touring" upon every restart.

In "touring", steering is a bit too light for my tastes, and there seems to be a fair amount of understeer. "Sport" mode tightens everything up and the ride firms up also. The ride is never harsh, however. And, it's clear Caddy did a lot of work on the suspension tuning, as it's impressive the way it straddles ride vs handling. I couldn't upset the suspension driving some pretty significant broken pavement yesterday.

That said, it's relatively quick. It handles confidently. At least the one I'm driving has all the safety and convenience options you could want. I tried the "auto park" feature last night. Pretty nifty.

Really comfortable seats with high quality leather. Aluminum and a (real) light wood interior with dash stitching throughout.

I think I've mentioned before, I won't buy another car without Android Auto or Apple Car Play. The XT5 has both. Again voice recognition from Apple is worlds better than in any other car I've ever tried.

Caddy has done a really nice job

Not sure what these sell for, but I would consider it if I were looking for a lux SUV from the Germans or the likes of Lexus/Infiniti/Acura.
How is the seat? The only thing that stopped me from buying the SRX was the seat. They tried to pull off the BMW sport seat thigh extension, but unsuccessfully
Q....I liked the seats, a lot. They remind me of the seats in my Acura TLs, and I liked those a lot, too. XT5 seats probably aren't bolstered as much as the TLs. But, they were certainly quite comfy and allowed for spirited driving while holding you in the seat. Not sure if there's a thigh extension as I only did some quick trips in it. But, will test them out more as the Caddy dealer said the part is on backorder for my CTS, and they don't want me to drive it with the prospect of the wiring being exposed.

Prognosis is the XT5 will be staying with me through Christmas, maybe until the New Year.

Need to get all of my hauling duties done while I have it.

PS....it only had 10 miles on it when they put me in it. So, it's brand new.

Are cars like that the "demos" they sell one or two years later?

driver100 · December 2016

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:
So, there was a recall on the CTS....something about the wiring harness on some cars being too close to another component and that might cause the wires to "chafe". That meant there would be a possibility that the insulation on the wires would get worn away from the "chafing".

Although I noticed no ill effects, mine indeed had the insulation wearing away, pretty dramatically in the ~18 mos I've had it.

As they always do, they put me in a loaner, this time an XT5. I know these SUVs aren't quite my cup of tea, but I see an awful lot of them on the roads, some someone likes them.

Not a bad ride at all. It doesn't handle like the CTS, but it's not a numb floating SUV that I've ridden/driven in the past.

It's a '17 and they've made another leap in performance with CUE (even faster than in the CTS, which in '16 got a major performance bump. Steering wheel is nice and fat, just like I like them. The "beer tap" electronic shifter is an answer to a question that was never asked. Not sure how they work in BMWs, but in the XT5, you pull it rearward for Driver (not real intuitive as I would expect pulling rearward means reverse). Pushing forward and to the left is for Reverse (why two steps?). But, hitting the P for park is a one button operation.

Not sure how many engineering man hours Cadillac spent on the shifter, but they solved nothing and made things more complex. On the flip side, shifts are quick and smooth. It's quick to shift down for more "playful" driving.

I like staying in "Sport" mode, but the car defaults to "Touring" upon every restart.

In "touring", steering is a bit too light for my tastes, and there seems to be a fair amount of understeer. "Sport" mode tightens everything up and the ride firms up also. The ride is never harsh, however. And, it's clear Caddy did a lot of work on the suspension tuning, as it's impressive the way it straddles ride vs handling. I couldn't upset the suspension driving some pretty significant broken pavement yesterday.

That said, it's relatively quick. It handles confidently. At least the one I'm driving has all the safety and convenience options you could want. I tried the "auto park" feature last night. Pretty nifty.

Really comfortable seats with high quality leather. Aluminum and a (real) light wood interior with dash stitching throughout.

I think I've mentioned before, I won't buy another car without Android Auto or Apple Car Play. The XT5 has both. Again voice recognition from Apple is worlds better than in any other car I've ever tried.

Caddy has done a really nice job

Not sure what these sell for, but I would consider it if I were looking for a lux SUV from the Germans or the likes of Lexus/Infiniti/Acura.
How is the seat? The only thing that stopped me from buying the SRX was the seat. They tried to pull off the BMW sport seat thigh extension, but unsuccessfully
Q....I liked the seats, a lot. They remind me of the seats in my Acura TLs, and I liked those a lot, too. XT5 seats probably aren't bolstered as much as the TLs. But, they were certainly quite comfy and allowed for spirited driving while holding you in the seat. Not sure if there's a thigh extension as I only did some quick trips in it. But, will test them out more as the Caddy dealer said the part is on backorder for my CTS, and they don't want me to drive it with the prospect of the wiring being exposed.

Prognosis is the XT5 will be staying with me through Christmas, maybe until the New Year.

Need to get all of my hauling duties done while I have it.

PS....it only had 10 miles on it when they put me in it. So, it's brand new.

Are cars like that the "demos" they sell one or two years later?

I think they are. Our C250 started out as a service vehicle, then was leased for 2 years. After 3 years it had 12800 miles on it and seems like a new car.

About work...I am surprised so many people aren't happy at their jobs. I loved one job out of about 8 that I had. I loved the one job most of the time, except when I had an idiot manager. That seems to be one of the big things about working......it depends a lot on the person you report to, and usually, they should never be in the position they are in.

abacomike · December 2016

@snakeweasel:

Regarding "small Native American" tribes, I meant small groups of people, not small people!

Driver, because he lives 5 months s year in Florida, joined in the lunch invite as an ad hoc committee of one!

As for Cheesecake Factory, they have great salads. That's what I'd order for lunch if we got together.

stickguy · December 2016

Retiring at the end of the school year farmer? Sounds like fun. Will this also mean selling the farm and moving to the land of rust free, low mile, barges?

One interesting thing for me is that my company is splitting in 2 effective 1/1, and my area will be part of the new company (name, CEO, stock, everything). So more unknowns. Though hopefully it is a big improvement, since we did not really "fit" with the old company and they were a drag on us. Crossing my fingers that a year from now it will have been for the better. But who knows.

abacomike · December 2016

My advice to you, Michaell, if you decide to move into a management position. Is to be a good listener, a good observer, develop outstanding empathetic skills and do not become friends with those whom you supervise. I don't mean you should not be friendly nor foster positive team building group dynamics between and among your subordinates - what is needed is to maintain a professional "distance" between those who report to you. You never know when you might have to pink slip one of them for lack of performance or downsizing. Furthmore, those who report to you will never feel or sense that you use favoritism in your decision-making.

Thus, be cordial and supportive, but maintain professionalism. Just some thought on the style of management I used very effectively.

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