Starting to develop an ATTITUDE!!

[UncleHoney]

If anything ticks me off at work it's all the emails from Corp. that reguire you to do something, take an online class, read the newest policy on business ethics, and a whole raft of other BS. All designed to cover someone's butt and put yours in a sling if something goes wrong.

In the last two days three of these little bombs have shown up. The first was about taking an online class on how to fill out your timecard so the the client gets billed properly. The next one was reading about use of government equipment and property for non government projects and personal use.

With a smile I got right to each one and did what was required, all the time thinking if this is how you want me to spend company money I'll do whatever it takes, for another 4 months and then ....

The email that came today really got me in a good mood. This one was our 6 month warning that personal goals are due no later than the end of September. The goal thing is something I've put up with for the last 35 years and hated every time they were due. If you don't do the goals their might not be a raise next year. If someone would just look at my record they would probably wish all employees were like me.

I haven't taken a sick day in 19 YEARS, people fight over me to work on their projects, I'm always up on the latest software and like to stay ahead of the pack on the learning curve. So I find the yearly goals a bunch of BS. Just how much better do you people want me to get? I guess my attitude towards all this crap is "get the hell out of the way and let me get back to work".

For now the goals are on the back burner till I think of something really funny to say about it all. I wonder if anyone will notice the day the goals are due is the day I'm going to retire.

 

[REWahoo]

I wonder if anyone will notice the day the goals are due is the day I'm going to retire.

Looks to me like you've identified your personal goal for the year.

 

[Brat]

I am starting to develop an attitude too, but over a different issue. We make regular contributions to our Public TV station, modest but regular. Today I received a solicitation for more money.

I am the public radio/tv consumer. I convinced my DH to contribute. He was reluctant because they never quit hounding you.

Today's caller asked for DH and I intercepted. After a couple of coy exchanges he acknowledged that he was calling on behalf of public TV because we were a contributor. I told him, bluntly, that they have received what they are going to get.

Question: Should I have told them that if they call again DH will cut them off in the future?

We had a neighbor who only made contributions anonymously for that reason, and she was VERY generous. She also told the recipient that if they passed along her name or solicited her other than in person her checkbook was closed.

 

[Texas Proud]

Hey... my goals are due tomorrow... and I got the email on Monday.... I will have to look at what BS I put on my annual review... which BTW I did not get after spending a whole HOUR putting some crap down when that deadline came...

Brat... that is why nobody gets any money from me... I just got SO tired of giving an ANNUAL contribution to some charity and then getting a request every 4 to 6 weeks fore MORE MONEY... and then getting the CALLS.. (the latest is the theater that wants me to sign up for the season!!!)...

I tell them, PUT DOWN IN YOUR SYSTEM NOT TO ASK ME FOR MORE MONEY OR I WILL CUT YOU OFF... Not one has ever followed my request...

 

[DangerMouse]

I'm with you on getting bombarded for donations after sending in the first check.

I made a donation to CARE last year, thought it was a worthy cause. However, since then the begging letters, emails and phone calls have not stopped. This has continued after they asked me if I wanted to be contacted and I said no. They will never receive another donation from me as they way I see it, why donate if someone is going to spend all the money hounding me for more.

As for the original post, I have to do my goals, they are now a couple of weeks late. I'll probably get a call from HR and end up throwing something together in 30 seconds, and pretend to play the game.

 

[tryan]

The dirty little secret in my mega corp was that "goals" never left your immediate managers desk. Sooo all those forward thinkers who thought they would/could "save the company " were just blowing hot air.

The annual review process was not much better.

 

[SteveR]

The goals I gave my boss for this year were the usual BS they want to see. My folks now have to write their BS goals to fit mine and the added stuff they "need" to do to get a bonus next year (providing they don't get screwed by the company yet again). So the process is more mechanical than functional. Good Intentions are stuffed into the goal machine on one end and the Corporation turns the crank and out comes the result.....piles of BS.

My goals will not be completed by me as I will not be here before any of them are due. That was by design. My RE date has been communicated and it will be before the end of May. That is not that far away so I am starting into Exit mode.

 

[Eagle43]

I remember all that goal stuff; complete nonsense. My boss wanted me to make this presentation or work on that project. And yep, Texas Proud, it always seem to be urgent. Due, like right now. All in the interest of My development.

I seem to have developed nicely, the past 3 ER years.

 

[donheff]

Ah goal setting and performance reviews. I was actually thinking of working a couple of years longer when we started a major renaissance on performance management. I found myself becoming one of those old cynical guys who can't get with the program. I finally concluded that was exactly what I was -- time to go

 

[bssc]

The entire goal setting process and performance evaluation seems to be in place to keep the HR department employed.

 

[Texas Proud]

I remember all that goal stuff; complete nonsense. My boss wanted me to make this presentation or work on that project. And yep, Texas Proud, it always seem to be urgent. Due, like right now. All in the interest of My development.

I seem to have developed nicely, the past 3 ER years.

WHAT... you have not put down your ER goals these past few years... YIKES!!! How can you function?? How do you know what to do

I did put down my 'goals'... and gues what... a 'scale' popped up asking how I am doing toward them.... well, I JUST Friggin put them DOWN... so not much...

 

[Brat]

I worked HR, we never saw the goals. Setting goals is a part of the performance evaluation process and, in theory, everyone needs a performance evaluation. The theory behind setting goals is to have the employee/manager figure out what needs and can be achieved. Great theory implemented poorly.

Once the goals writing task is performed, the 'done that' box is checked. HOWEVER, if an employee sets a goal and doesn't achieve it the gigs pile up at the end of the year, your performance is unsatisfactory.

 

[smileydog]

I can certainly identify with the whole attitude thing! At this point I am trying to learn all I can so that I can make the right choices to speed up my FIRE date. Some days it's hard to focus on the job at hand. The useless BS parts of job do tend to wear us down. This board has encouraged me to go forward with plans to downsize and get out from the last 180k left on my mortgage so I can focus more on getting to the next phase where hopefully a new attitude will be the rule.

 

[maddythebeagle]

I guess my attitude towards all this crap is "get the hell out of the way and let me get back to work".

I couldnt have said it better....

 

[CCdaCE]

<SNIP>

The first was about taking an online class on how to fill out your timecard so the the client gets billed properly. The next one was reading about use of government equipment and property for non government projects and personal use.


<SNIP>

Goal #1 should be to NOT have to attend all the BS!

Good thing you get to retire first, though.

-CC

 

[tryan]

For about 15 years - leading to FIRE - I kept a 1 page list of annual goals for myself ... nothing to do with mega corp.

Things like: Grow NW by 10%. Buy/Sell X properties. Complete the rehab of property XYZ.

Always ended with "... and retire by 45".

Printed the sheet and framed it on the wall in the home office. Helped keep me focused; also helped get DW on the same gameplan.

 

[bssc]

My dad retired from the State Department and came back as a consultant. He loves it because he doesn't have to do all this HR / Development / Teambuilding / Fluff stuff.

 

[Martha]

Uncle Honey developing his attitude:

 

[2B]

I actually liked the goal stuff when talking with my reports. They were pretty much told a format and general areas to "commit" to. We were in a manufacturing area and I wanted them to avoid spending the whole year chasing the "relatively unimportant but urgent" demands of the plant and forget that they were really there to do the "essential but non-urgent" tasks of improving the process. It was generally pretty simple and straight-forward. Depending on the individual we had an "update" quarterly or monthly.

The problem I had was with the "higher ups" who generally got pages of "check the box" type goals from the other groups and it was unusual that my folks had more that 5 general areas.

My people never got "screwed" in raises because I was a jerk in the annual salary budgeting meetings but I'm sure I got screwed in mine. I had one HR VP tell me that the president of our subsidiary company personally increased my raise and bonus substantially over what had been submitted by the plant management. I should have taken the hint and quit but I hung around another 2 years and got shown the door within weeks of the president getting a different corporate job during a restructuring.

If done right, goals can be a good communication tool but just like everything else in corporate America (and world?) it gets perverted.

 

[stargazer08]

My goals are 9 pages long. No joke. There are the core job responsibilites, goals and the competancies. What a friggin' waste of my time and energy. My goal is to come in every day, work my ass off, support my bosses goals and retire ASAP. I only go through the motions because my raise is tied directly to the exercise. Hate the entire process with a passion.

 

[UncleHoney]

Uncle Honey developing his attitude:

Worms, Goals, and performance reviews. It's all the same to me.

 

[frayne]

Dilbert is alive and well in corporate America. Can't believe I put up with that BS for 32 years.