Today was not the apogee of organizational prowess at my workplace.
The company I work at is one office in a sixty-someodd franchise company nationally. Pretty much all the branches are autonomous, but the person who owns my branch also owns two neighbouring ones so the three work together to trade skills/people/etc around as needed. It's not my favorite industry by a long shot but it's a sweet arrangement for the group as a whole.
Ours is the biggest of the three by a large margin, so we're regularly sending staff out to the other two to show them how we do things, and they send people here during their slow times to do the same. I've been wearing a few hats in my office - mostly the house IT geek (read: only person properly proficient with all the software we use), and I also had a big hand in how our inventory control and some other things got set up. Both other branches recently hired people to do similar roles in their own companies, and an arrangement was made between my branch and one of the others to send one of their guys here for me to train for a day or so.
So far all well and good; I don't mind doing so, it's a break from the usual routine and it helps all three branches in the long run. Except, well, they didn't tell me they were doing this.
So my first indication that this is happening at all - during a batshit crazy day where some really fiddly time-critical $(five digit) things have to be Done Right The First Time and I've got 2-4 project managers flipping out at me over this that and the other thing - is when the trainee walks into my office, having driven four hours to get here, with the full knowledge of everyone in the chain above me, none of whom thought I needed to be notified about this. So I get to spend the day attempting to do that with no preparation whatsoever, during which time people are continuing to stroll into my office to tell me to drop what I'm doing and get one task or another done immediately instead.
The best part is that this is the second time this has happened.
Must.. escape.. profession...
Welcome to reality.
I've yet to work anywhere where this wasn't the norm.
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FishmanPut your goddamned hand in the goddamned Box of Pain.Registered Userregular
Yep, it sounds like you're "IT guy".
I do the same thing, but replace 'trainees from other branch' with 'contractors from India' and 'franchises' with 'the largest ministry in the government'.
Zonugal(He/Him) The Holiday ArmadilloI'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered Userregular
Also...
An autistic child at the camp was running around trying to bull-rush the counselors into walls and such. His tactic was to come up with a forceful hug than spit into your eyes before enacting a full force tackle. All the while he'd be making clicking noises. At one point he did this to me and smashed me through two steel doors.
Basically I had to deal with this as a child today:
Highly tempted to awesome that, Zonugal. But I'm pretty buzzed of caffeine so...................
Also, printing update: The fuckwads ended up not being such fuckwads! Turns out I was the first job on their brand new machine. The proof looked stunning, so that's what they were looking at when I called to complain. The owner figured out maybe they should run an actual production print, which did look like shit as I had insisted.
They got it all printed out for me, and I must say the work is stunning. So yay! Crises averted. Well, not averted, more like, handled, slaughtered, dominated.
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nevilleThe Worst Gay(Seriously. The Worst!)Registered Userregular
Highly tempted to awesome that, Zonugal. But I'm pretty buzzed of caffeine so...................
Would it help if I added that during the drive to a museum that same child was located in the back of the bus peering adamantly towards me while I sat in the van driving behind it on the freeway?
Peering as if he sensed my very essence and had to destroy it.
My 19th summer I worked in the games section of an amusement/water park. Got yelled at by 12 year-olds, 14-year old girls trying to seduce me for free stuffed animals, drunk fathers yelling at me for my game being rigged while they have their child on a leash, ect....
My last day I told my coworkers and employees I hope to never see them again, ever.
When it comes to amusement park jobs it's rides or bust. I spent 5 summers working rides at the local park and really enjoyed it.
Zonugal, I keep telling you to get some mma training. At the very least, some muay thai experience. Start raining elbows down upon the non-believers.
There's no need for hours and hours of dedicated training when a simple tool like a ball pein hammer or a sock with a few rolls of quarters in it will do the trick.
So this is a gerbera. I'm not a fan of them but we have them in the shop, other people like them. You support wire them to stop them falling over, I corrected my driver's (who is also my boss' dad) way of wiring them because a load of them had keeled over today because it was wrong and they weren't supported correctly. Turns out he had being doing it my way, but the boss had decided her way was better and told him to change the method back. This is very trivial but the stock is keeling over because of it, and its another example of how my three years of experience under someone who has worked in the industry since he was in his teens counts for nothing in her eyes.
So What I thought was an interview was really a skills assessment. It was supposed to take 2 hours, but took me 45 minutes. There were 5 other people there: one who had rescheduled his appointment because he was 1/2 late earlier in the week, a racist alcoholic in jeans, a 20 year old mall employee, and a grandmother.
The assessment took place on the computer. Judgment (agree/disagree with this statement) listening, typing and deduction skills. Some of the stuff I really enjoyed (listen to the sentence and type it, here's a grid, match this number to the grid (sometimes no matches exist)). The instructor pulled me outside and started laughing. She said, come on, you need a real interview. Too bad their first one was for tomorrow only.
So this is a gerbera. I'm not a fan of them but we have them in the shop, other people like them. You support wire them to stop them falling over, I corrected my driver's (who is also my boss' dad) way of wiring them because a load of them had keeled over today because it was wrong and they weren't supported correctly. Turns out he had being doing it my way, but the boss had decided her way was better and told him to change the method back. This is very trivial but the stock is keeling over because of it, and its another example of how my three years of experience under someone who has worked in the industry since he was in his teens counts for nothing in her eyes.
Urrgh. I hope all those gerberas die from it.
God damn it. Did you tell your boss that her backwards approach is going to knacker all the stock or is it just not worth the grief?
God damn it. Did you tell your boss that her backwards approach is going to knacker all the stock or is it just not worth the grief?
Well its pretty obvious, but no, I'm just going to watch it all get knackered. Its her money!
She really must be such an... interesting person to work for. By which I mean I picture you sighing every time a plant dies or a sale is lost all because your boss assumes she has the slightest grasp of a field she can't be bothered to learn anything about
God damn it. Did you tell your boss that her backwards approach is going to knacker all the stock or is it just not worth the grief?
Well its pretty obvious, but no, I'm just going to watch it all get knackered. Its her money!
She really must be such an... interesting person to work for. By which I mean I picture you sighing every time a plant dies or a sale is lost all because your boss assumes she has the slightest grasp of a field she can't be bothered to learn anything about
You are correct Mr Crab!
On the bright side, I've had a lot of compliments on my funeral work lately, so yay
It's always nice to have your talents recognised You seem to have had a fair few people complimenting your wedding work too recently, unless I misremember
I can't count how often my boss and I point out how money could be saved and yet any advice is always ignored
and funnily enough I've also found that whenever monies aren't sent/received pretty much everyone else in the company (especially sales guys) phrases it as though it's the finance team's fault, when actually finance teams get to make relatively few financial decisions
I'm also tired of seeing cost saving measures involving firing a) the lowest paid workers (wow, fantastic savings there, especially when those workers earn less in an annual year than one guy's cell phone bill costs!) and b) that's pretty much it, actually
Sounds like you've been having a rubbish time lately with work Janson
Nah, it's been okay really! I just repeat that mantra.
Ultimately, I mean, it doesn't affect me personally. I mean, I always get paid, and my work is easy. I really only get annoyed on other people's (and the economy's) behalf.
I'm also tired of seeing cost saving measures involving firing a) the lowest paid workers (wow, fantastic savings there, especially when those workers earn less in an annual year than one guy's cell phone bill costs!) and b) that's pretty much it, actually
Arrgh that is the worse!
I'm glad things aren't that bad for you, at the end of the day getting paid is the main thing!
Nah, it's been okay really! I just repeat that mantra.
Ultimately, I mean, it doesn't affect me personally. I mean, I always get paid, and my work is easy. I really only get annoyed on other people's (and the economy's) behalf.
Empathy is a bit of a bugger like that. I had a friend working in a debt management firm (i.e., they were also responsible for repossessions) and even though she could've sleepwalked through her admin duties and even though the pay was solid... she just couldn't distance herself from the reality of the work she did
Someone has to do it, but she eventually decided that she didn't want to be that someone. Would've been much easier if she could've just ignored all the foreclosures and evictions or whatever and thought of all those individuals as nothing more than tiny blips on a screen
Oh man, yeah, that has to be tough. I've always found it, if anything, too easy to empathise with others, to the extent that I often get more upset on their behalf than they are!
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Welcome to reality.
I've yet to work anywhere where this wasn't the norm.
I do the same thing, but replace 'trainees from other branch' with 'contractors from India' and 'franchises' with 'the largest ministry in the government'.
Today another kid vomited into her hand and immediately ate it back up.
Kill me.
An autistic child at the camp was running around trying to bull-rush the counselors into walls and such. His tactic was to come up with a forceful hug than spit into your eyes before enacting a full force tackle. All the while he'd be making clicking noises. At one point he did this to me and smashed me through two steel doors.
Basically I had to deal with this as a child today:
Also, printing update: The fuckwads ended up not being such fuckwads! Turns out I was the first job on their brand new machine. The proof looked stunning, so that's what they were looking at when I called to complain. The owner figured out maybe they should run an actual production print, which did look like shit as I had insisted.
They got it all printed out for me, and I must say the work is stunning. So yay! Crises averted. Well, not averted, more like, handled, slaughtered, dominated.
pics or gtfo
and by that i mean of you
unless you're gross, then show us some choice airport scanner pics
kthx
Would it help if I added that during the drive to a museum that same child was located in the back of the bus peering adamantly towards me while I sat in the van driving behind it on the freeway?
Peering as if he sensed my very essence and had to destroy it.
oh what a difference a letter makes
(In all reality, I'll be posting on the boards during slow times at the booth so I look busy).
When it comes to amusement park jobs it's rides or bust. I spent 5 summers working rides at the local park and really enjoyed it.
Bring me a show girl.
There's no need for hours and hours of dedicated training when a simple tool like a ball pein hammer or a sock with a few rolls of quarters in it will do the trick.
Secret Satan 2013 Wishlist
Glad to know that a saga full of vocabulary like "fuckwads" and "shit" warmed your heart, Orik
Pay is the same as the last one, but at least this is normal business hours.
Night shifts were killing me.
I feel like I should notify your spouse that you're asking people to traffic performers to your residence
i may have gone through something similar while rebranding a local restaurant (which has yet to pay me.)
So this is a gerbera. I'm not a fan of them but we have them in the shop, other people like them. You support wire them to stop them falling over, I corrected my driver's (who is also my boss' dad) way of wiring them because a load of them had keeled over today because it was wrong and they weren't supported correctly. Turns out he had being doing it my way, but the boss had decided her way was better and told him to change the method back. This is very trivial but the stock is keeling over because of it, and its another example of how my three years of experience under someone who has worked in the industry since he was in his teens counts for nothing in her eyes.
Urrgh. I hope all those gerberas die from it.
She'll probably just sigh, shake her head and then laugh.
The assessment took place on the computer. Judgment (agree/disagree with this statement) listening, typing and deduction skills. Some of the stuff I really enjoyed (listen to the sentence and type it, here's a grid, match this number to the grid (sometimes no matches exist)). The instructor pulled me outside and started laughing. She said, come on, you need a real interview. Too bad their first one was for tomorrow only.
God damn it. Did you tell your boss that her backwards approach is going to knacker all the stock or is it just not worth the grief?
Well its pretty obvious, but no, I'm just going to watch it all get knackered. Its her money!
This is what I have to tell myself 5 times a day
Like a mantra
She really must be such an... interesting person to work for. By which I mean I picture you sighing every time a plant dies or a sale is lost all because your boss assumes she has the slightest grasp of a field she can't be bothered to learn anything about
You are correct Mr Crab!
On the bright side, I've had a lot of compliments on my funeral work lately, so yay
Only in the florist industry could you say this!
Oh, and if you don't want to be affected by other people's bad decisions, never, ever work in a finance department. Eeeesh.
and funnily enough I've also found that whenever monies aren't sent/received pretty much everyone else in the company (especially sales guys) phrases it as though it's the finance team's fault, when actually finance teams get to make relatively few financial decisions
I'm also tired of seeing cost saving measures involving firing a) the lowest paid workers (wow, fantastic savings there, especially when those workers earn less in an annual year than one guy's cell phone bill costs!) and b) that's pretty much it, actually
Nah, it's been okay really! I just repeat that mantra.
Ultimately, I mean, it doesn't affect me personally. I mean, I always get paid, and my work is easy. I really only get annoyed on other people's (and the economy's) behalf.
Arrgh that is the worse!
I'm glad things aren't that bad for you, at the end of the day getting paid is the main thing!
Empathy is a bit of a bugger like that. I had a friend working in a debt management firm (i.e., they were also responsible for repossessions) and even though she could've sleepwalked through her admin duties and even though the pay was solid... she just couldn't distance herself from the reality of the work she did
Someone has to do it, but she eventually decided that she didn't want to be that someone. Would've been much easier if she could've just ignored all the foreclosures and evictions or whatever and thought of all those individuals as nothing more than tiny blips on a screen