Who could replace Potter?
Monday, November 2, 2009 at 10:37AM There has been much discussion within the industry about calendar year 2010 and how the Postal Service will face its many woes, from a $5 billion retiree health benefits payment to continuing volume loss to union contract negotiations, etc. The list goes on and on.
It has been made quite clear by the Board of Governors Chairman Carolyn Gallagher that Postmaster General Jack Potter will not be leaving anytime soon. The question is still exists - who could replace Potter?
Whether you like him or not, he has done things to the postal industry that few thought were possible. He led the way on aggressive cost cutting measures, implemented a new law, saw the industry through 9-11 and anthrax, and stayed out of the way of a maturing market through a huge economic boom from 2000-2006. The Postal Service saw a revenue increase of 20% from 2000-2006, during which there as no price changes from 2003-2005 because of the 2003 pension reform legislation that reduced the Service's pension costs in fiscal years 2003 through 2005.
So if the Board decided or Potter himself wanted to move on, who could replace him? There are obviously people that are high enough in the organization that the Board might consider, like Deputy Postmaster General Pat Donahue or Mailing and Package Services President Robert Bernstock.
But the USPS right now is at a cross-roads in history. Under Potter's reign, it has seen tremendous growth (and, recently, precipitous declines) while cutting costs to the tune of $1 billion annually and $6 billion in FY2009. But it seems that the age of cost cutting and workhour reduction is passing. A new age is dawning - one of market conditions and customer needs. One of customizing solutions to individual customers through product offerings, price, and placement.
A new chief will need to set a strategic vision, nothing like Vision 2013, but one that breaths life into the organization and gets people excited once again. The Postal Service will be a vital entity in 2010 and beyond. It does something no other organization, anywhere, does - it greets every household everyday. He or she will need to focus not only on competitive products where most of the regulatory freedoms lie, but on its bread-and-butter - the market dominant products and create solutions for business customers.
No one person is going to be able to replace Potter in his or hers first year. It will take the entire organization to fill the hole, but it can be done. With the right, proactive leadership setting its course, the Postal Service can become a lean, mean delivering machine that is responsive and proactive with customized solutions and new product offerings. Not only can it be done, but it must be done.
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Reader Comments (15)
If he is not leaving anytime soon, why take the time to think of the question who will replace him. The Board of Governors should concentrate on his forced removal, firing. If you need an answer here it is: CEO or Postmaster Potter is costing the postal service 10 billion a year. The first homeless man or woman who you see in the street hire them for the job, do you think that its even remotely possible this uneducated drunk person from the street can top losing 10 billion a year?
Leninis Reynolds Sr. could replace Potter a person who can understand and take care of the people who mail their mail and the employees who processes the mail a people person. He is a former Non- Commssioned Officer the the U.S Armed Forces who will protect Veterans rights and a has 22yrs wiyh the U.S Postal Service now retired. Please
send to President Obama ASP, if you want to turn around the U.S Postal Service.
Any Ring Leader will do.The USPS is nothing but a circus now!
Mr Corizine, I hear he will be unemployed soon. Ha Ha Ha
What a ridiculous article. Completely full of misinformation and nonfactual. "Right, proactive leadership......"
Just that statement shows how little the author knows about the USPS today, it's history, and it's future.
Al Bundy could replace potter and be a damn sight big improvement,no doubt.
The man should be fired. His cut, cut, cut it all moves are destroying the service. We need someone who is in to revenue generation and absolutely no one at Postal HQ knows what that term means. No one!
How about Roger Penske or Jo Gibbs?
That's actually a question??? Like he's done SUCH A GOOD JOB that it would be impossible to replace him??? Putting someone in that is actually concerned about the post office, and actually wants to make it profitable again would be a huge step up. As Potter is only concerned with one question "how do I destroy the post office as an entity"
To tell you the truth it really does't matter because anyone inside the beltway is all about the money and their year end bonus. The tradition and the history is all thrown out the window. What about truth, honesty and here is a novel thought "what ever happened to customer service" besides "ONLY IF YOU ARE BACK BY 5:00.
Potter is destroying everything good about the USPS. He and his overpaid cronies don't give a damn about customers or his employees IN THE CRAFTS! Letter Carriers are the hardest working group in the Post Office. We are also the most underappreciated and take the most abuse from managers, of which there are way too many! You want to save money then CUT managers! Let us do our jobs and get the HELL off of our backs!!! Management is the real reason that morale is so damn low and that we're losing so much money!! If only the public and Congress could see what goes on every day in the Post Office. Then they would all see management waste and millions going out the door on foolish ideas. Get rid of Potter and maybe things will get better-they can't get any worse, unless you're a carrier.
Don't just get rid of Potter! Replace him with someone from outside of the USPS good ole boy network.
Those good ole boys inside the USPS network scratch each others backs with undeserved bonuses.
Screw the craft and pay themselves for stupid ideas like DPS and FSS machines that cost billions and are already obsolete.
So much money has been wasted since I've been a carrier (1994) it's unbelievable.
Electric vehicles that didn't last a year - money down the drain!
Bonuses to managers and supervisors - money down the drain!
Even the Board of Governors Chairman Carolyn Gallagher doesn't want Potter to go because she is a fellow cronie!
When the postal service saw a revenue increase of 20% from 2000-2006, the money was wasted on useless machinery and bonuses.
Now when we need that surplus, it's gone!
Blame the carriers and make them work harder for all of managements fiscal abuse.
I think the entire USPS Organization needs to be overhaul starting from the top down. This Organization has no feeling toward the hard working employees. Instead, all they care about is getting their bonuses. They do so many thing that are very low moral, and push many hard, honest working employees over the edge. I see it happen everyday and everywhere, and feeling sad for the life of many of us. Nothing that we actually can do to change the system, so ; I pray to God everyday and hoping that He will help get through this. Until then, good luck to all my postal fellows.
If every postal employee wrote to their respective congressman/woman and demanded a committee be formed to look into the wasteful spending and "spoils system" used in management maybe the USPS could be turned around.
More people need to get involved and not just take their job for granted. If it were up to management, they would hire a bunch of illegals and pay them minimum wage.
Find out the salaries of the executives in Washington. How many VP's do we need?
The video upper management doesn't want you to see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l47Xxq3GGt4