When I was with Follett, HT was a good person and a hard worker, but a terrible strategist and leader. Had his favorites, both people and ideas, and sometimes he would micromanage at the wrong time. I would think he'd be a dinosaur in a real corporate environment.
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This is true. If there was a job in his region, usually he had a favorite already picked out and that person would get a call from him. Forget all those other people who applied thinking they had a shot. But he got burned good when one of his favorites he moved up 4 times over the years from good store to better store left because the dude wanted to be a regional and he got tired of waiting for HT to move him up.
H. T. Always treated me great, I could pretty much name my salary H T would approve. Going right over HR shit offer.
IMO his reputation suffered after he married that GM
There was a time when he would say hello to everyone in the store - made a point to greet each employee and say a few words. That was the old HT - you could tell he really liked being in the stores, bagging textbooks during rush was his thing - he was great then- always moving, doing every job regardless of how small. He loved football season - would start counting down in May how many days left til kickoff in September. Then he got divorced and married the new wife. Anyone who knew her feel free to speak up - let's just say he changed after he got with her. Come back, HT - we miss you!
He was the man once. He has been surpassed by his protege, all his VP cronies are gone, the managers he hand picked are all gone. He stopped being effective like 10 years ago. He married a GM - they dated while he was essentially her boss - imagine what that store manager went through with your VP dating your employee. He was a good guy but he's been in the game too long. As he moved up he lost touch with the stores. He's not a meanie just if you weren't in that inner circle of his back in the day, you went nowhere.
But what is he an a__hole about? Give examples.
Cause sometimes he could be a real a-hole.
Agree, Howard is bright and fair. Can't ask for much more than that.
Yeah...I don't get it. He was always upfront and honest with me when I worked for him as a SM. I always thought of him as one of the good guys!
He is a good guy that values his people. Much better than some other D-bag GVP's.