Nike spends a lot of money. A beautiful 175 acre campus, athletes with $90 million + contracts, multiple private jets, an ex-CEO with a
ridiculous severance package. But in my opinion, the greatest waste of all is the money spent by corporate administrative assistants (secretary's for those of you who lived and worked in the good 'ol days).
I am amazed nearly every day by the amount of money wasted through spending by admin's. I don't doubt their value on a purely professional support level, but they spend company money like bitchy daughters of a rich daddy.
Here's one of my favorites: the site visit. This is where the admin(s) travel to the location of an upcoming meeting to see if it will work out. And we are not talking about the local conference center. These locations include Scottsdale, Las Vegas, Miami, Hawaii, New York, etc. Two or three days staying in the hotels, eating at the restaurants and meeting in the places that their bosses will during the next week. Because honestly, these hotels have not idea how to handle a corporate meeting without some know-it-all admin's telling them how to do it!
Another good one is the sample sale! This is where 3-4 admin's get together to sell sample/left over product. Now this is a 2 day event, and because they are working so hard they get every meal catered at company expense. What, you mean you don't get free breakfast and lunch when you work real hard? I thought everyone did?
The last example I'll share with you is the admin holiday/birthday/summer/whatever party. During this event, all the valuable admin's take an entire day away from their work and go have fun, again at company expense. I mean between the catered meals and trips to Miami, they get worn out and need a break. Pile all the girls in a limo and lets go out to lunch downtown! El Gaucho anyone? Then maybe a movie and finally a martini to cap off the day. A girl's gotta wind down somehow!
You probably noticed that I refer to these admin's as females. In my 5 years at Nike, I have not met a single male admin. I know it is traditionally a women's job, but this is 2006 and gender roles no longer exist, right? We are striving to have 50% of our employee's as females, and however many percent of employee's as minorities. I want 25% of our admin's to be men. Is that too much to ask?
Seriously folks, these admin's have it made. I just hope that when sales dip and profits fall, managers step up and see the waste that goes on with the little circles of admins. Take away the Blackberry's, cell phones, laptops, and comp days...give them to employee's that actually make Nike money.
*the comments in this blog do not reflect Nike's opinion or position in anyway. They are the sole thoughts of 1 individual. Please do not sue me.
