The New American Way

[Beagle]

I had an interesting discussion with mgmt at work today, "You're very passionate and excellent with customers, but what do you do that a contingent doesn't do? Your technical abilities are on par with the best in this unit. You can kick most of these guys asses technically, and you consistently deal with and recover difficult customers. Yeah, you handle the nastiest issues we get but that's not what we're looking for any more. ".

Hmmm. 21 years of handling the nastiest issues, and the guys who stack rank me will walk right up to my desk when they need an idiot to volunteer to take one of those f*ing things. I suggested that as ironic to my manager, that there is a path beaten to my desk indicating that is, in fact, exactly what they want.

"you don't want to get a reputation as a workhorse."

F*ING REALLY? What is it I should be trying to do then?

"You should let some of the rest of the team feel that pain."

Uhhh, the same guys that will get the money this year but contribute nothing, the same guys I can't hand a 14 hour call to because they have to go to dinner, but they'll take it if it's still going on when they get back?

"Yes. They have "percieved value""

WTF is Percieved Value? What The F* is wrong with "Delievered Value"
? I'm a little confused that somebody who I can't get to do their job has "percieved value", and that I should stop working so that they have to, yet, because we stack rank, they will get "Real value" from not working.

I'm confused. I'm not supposed to be a workhorse, I'm being punished for it. I'm not kidding. I really don't want to work any more after this job, so obviously I'm trying to think this through and keep the "man" happy. I'm unclear on modern management.

Drag Week may not be the smartest thing for me to do right now, or maybe it is. I've honestly never thought in my life that somebody would give you a negative review for being considered a workhorse. I'm so confused.

[pdub]

It's management rhetoric, the stiff shirts. DF approached it in one of his editorials in HRM some months ago, and he did it well.

When I worked for corporate, that's what it was, ALL it was. Buzz terms and pass phrases, constantly. But back in my day it was paradigms and ... you NEVER want to hear "Leverage Our Resources".....that's stiff shirt for, "Somebody's gonna lose their job."

I put up with crap every day on the job, but at the end of the day I smile and know that the next paycheck is coming. If I can make it be any fun along the way, I do. But it's hard to do, the fun part.

[Beagle]

I guess I'm pissed off that I lost the popularity contest because I actually do the work rather then telling everyone how great the work I do is, pdub. I think they want me to be a teacher and I've always been of the "those who can't teach those who can" school. I'm curious who's post toasties I unintentionally left a turd in so I can do it on purpose next time. haha. I took two months off last year on medical so I sort of expected retalliation for it. Still did more work in 10 months than some guys did all year, so I'm fussy. I should look at it as having already been given a huge raise / promotion for the 60 days off.

We play buzzword bullshit bingo in meetings. "Intentional Talent Move" is this year's current front runner.

Sorry, just venting. If I say it here and get it out of my system, then maybe I won't mope at work and bitch and moan there which will surely get me walked. I'm not much on re-invention, but seems like it's a good time to do so. No more hard work, just walk around blowing my own horn all day doesn't do much for me. Them WANTING me to do that says we need to change out our management, not the guys who do the heavy lifting. As a stockholder, I'm pissed.

[pdub]

It's all a choice, how we choose to deal with it.

It took me a whole lot of years, I mean a LOT of years, before I realized the worry and frustration part of it is not worth it, and it sure doesn't alter the pay.

When I'm at work, I'm in it. The secret is in not taking it home with you. When I'm off of work, like right now, I'm unemployed. I currently do not have a job until Tuesday morning when I go back. Tuesday morning, driving to work, I'll try my best to remember what I need to do when I get there and where we were when I left. It's waiting. I don't have to do it when I'm not there.

[Beagle]

I tried being a duck last year and letting stuff roll of my back, and it was better but I think I slipped into old bad habits again. Maybe Daffy Duck. I think Warner Brothers just figured it out for me. I'm the f*ing Coyote or Sylvester! I should be playing Bugs Bunny. Got it!

I may delete this thread, I sound like a whiney little bitch and really just wanted it off my chest. Thanks pdub, I'm off the ledge.

[pdub]

Don't delete the thread. There's a lot of value added. When you gotta vent, you gotta vent.

[skullbucket]

They say your only as strong as the weakest link even if your doing 99% of the work because of the "team" mentality thats brainwashed into a workers head.
Thats why I say everyone only has to do as much work as the weakest link.

[pdub]

In the real word of the workplace, you've got the watchers and the do-ers. And everybody involved knows which from which. Unfortunately the not-do-ers don't know enough or watch enough to know the difference.

[squirrel]

spam reported

[TheSilverBuick]

I feel your pain. I got to where I am today because I am that same work horse. It was middle of last year when I really had a job change, from managing a department of a couple people with two or three projects and mostly day to day stuff, to running a different department with a couple of people, a several million dollar project with multiple contractors, the program was struggling and moral was taking a beating. The problem I had was trying to take it all on myself. Gotta learn to delegate, and make clear the expectations (and know your delegates limititations) and know when to chew ass when the delegation from lack of effort versus lack of skill. But the problem with delegating to people whom you know won't do the job as well/as quick as yourself is you're going to disappointed and occassionally burned. That 'perceived' versus 'delivered' value comparison is crap, and I'll say that is the one thing I'm glad about the fact my boss is an engineer is the fact he wants 'delivered' value, none of the fluff.

[LORENSWIFE]

30 years at NBC has taught me this...

[Monster]

spam reported

Got it.

[68scott385]

Can somebody explain for a dumbass what stacking ranks is/means...PLEASE.

[Barry Donovan]

They say your only as strong as the weakest link even if your doing 99% of the work because of the "team" mentality thats brainwashed into a workers head.
Thats why I say everyone only has to do as much work as the weakest link.

probably a sad truth. I don't reveal my own work history sometimes..
there is a trait it goes beyond others.. "teams" do not like that.
it does run in the genes too...can be very offensive beagle. I would be pissed and need to vent too.

[68scott385]

I've always heard that there are three types of people;
1. those that make things happen
2. those that watch things happen
3. those the wonder wtf happened

How do you teach #s 2 & 3 how to do anything? Stating the obvious...giving someone a reward for doing nothing encourages the further doing of nothing. If you get a trophy for showing up and/or participating, what have you really accomplished?