Office Environment

[brewer12345]

That head dog is probably trying to have you guys help him figure out what to put in his own performance review. If they can't remember how you're making their money, then screw 'em.

Not likely, since he is a part owner of the company. Nothing like being an owner and manager to give you job security.

Really have no idea why they chose to do this, but I know where the door is if that's the deal. Not like I'd be hurting for another place to land.

 

[laurence]

sounds like your HR is not doing their job? i've had GREAT advice and support from our HR and we outsource...none of which had to do w/ wasting our time on bad employees!

Hey, I think you are right about HR. Rather, the architecture is flawed ( the local people are actually pretty good). It's just that the burden is put on the managers to do a ton of documentation and chances for improvement. I understand it's for liability reasons. The general council told me he deals with lawsuits from terminated employees on a monthly basis as it is. But the functional managers are also technical leads who are just too busy to fill out the endless forms.

 

[wildcat]

I've got two problems with my current gig. Our customer points of contact are all just freakin' terrible to deal with, blamestorming incompetent liars who drive me crazy. My second problem is my coworkers consist of two groups, brilliant but overworked and totally incompetent and lazy. The latter group will never get fired because our company's stupid "lattice structure" makes nobody truly responsible for anybody, and you need 3-9 months of constant monthly "personal improvement plan reports" lodged with HR, weekly meetings with the employee, etc. etc. Nobody has the time to go through with it. My lead is trying to get someone canned right now, been trying for a year. He's not just useless, he's dangerous. Deletes files, makes unauthorized changes because he feels like it, it doesn't end. Hopefully I'm only in this gig for another 9 weeks, a position is opening up due to retirement back in my old department, it had it's flaws but is much, much better....

Man, that hurts just trying to imagine it.

Nords -

Suicides? Common thing in the Navy or what

 

[wildcat]

So are conference calls considered the same as meetings or is one a lesser evil? Personally, I despise conference calls.

 

[laurence]

The people who sit immediately around me and who I work with the most are the brilliant but overworked ones, so day by day it's pretty o.k., it's just every once in a while that it gets bad.

 

[maddythebeagle]

So are conference calls considered the same as meetings or is one a lesser evil? Personally, I despise conference calls.

no conf. calls are better since you can put the phone on mute and snore...

 

[Achiever51]

no conf. calls are better since you can put the phone on mute and snore...

While at MegaCorp, I had to participate in regularly scheduled tele-conference calls between our U.S. and German offices. One of the German staffers apparently didn't realize that muting the phone did not also mute the picture -- so nearly every call we got to watch him nod off for his post-lunch nap. The funny thing was, the others in the room with him just ignored his snoring -- and we'd be cracking up!

 

[cube_rat]

How about someone (an 80K+ salaried employee) sitting in the next [-]cage[/-] cube yaking on the phone with personal calls ALL DAY LONG! Meanwhile, I'm blasting my ears with my iPod so I don't reach a boiling point missing my business calls (which may be a good thing...). It's on my list of things to do to mention this to her supervisor who works in another state. I may just request a new [-]cage[/-] cube in another location.

Smells - yes, we have the battle of the stanky perfumes going on right now. not nice smelling perfumes, STANKY, like a cross between Ajax and RAID.

 

[wildcat]

no conf. calls are better since you can put the phone on mute and snore...

Yeah, it works until someone asks me a question, usually 30 minutes into the call. Homer Simpson "Doh!"

 

[teachme]

I spent most of my years with the USAF in the basement of the HQ building (no windows) with the rest of the IT people.

Generals never came downstairs.

Bldg 500
Was stationed there from '89 - 91.
Once you get on it, you never get _ _ _ _ _ _

 

[Nords]

Nords -
Suicides? Common thing in the Navy or what

I sure hope not. All three killed themselves at Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific & USS LOS ANGELES over a two-year period. All were great sailors & leaders, multiple award winners, and two of them were personal friends. It nearly destroyed the morale in one division and the ripple effect changed a lot of lives. I certainly learned about human nature & suicide recognition (no such thing as prevention).

 

[wildcat]

Gotcha. Sounded as if it was something that happened on those long sub missions.

 

[Khan]

Bldg 500
Was stationed there from '89 - 91.
Once you get on it, you never get _ _ _ _ _ _

Bldg 262

 

[CyclingInvestor]

Smells - yes, we have the battle of the stanky perfumes going on right now. not nice smelling perfumes, STANKY, like a cross between Ajax and RAID.

You might have to resort to something I inadvertantly did a few decades ago.
My mom sent me a whole box of homegrown garlic. Not wanting it to go bad,
I started eating it raw, eventually chowing down 4-5 heads per day, eating the
cloves like popcorn.. My poor, gagging coworkers finally told me the whole
area (about 10 offices) reeked of garlic and requested that I modify my diet.

 

[cube_rat]

You might have to resort to something I inadvertantly did a few decades ago.
My mom sent me a whole box of homegrown garlic. Not wanting it to go bad,
I started eating it raw, eventually chowing down 4-5 heads per day, eating the
cloves like popcorn.. My poor, gagging coworkers finally told me the whole
area (about 10 offices) reeked of garlic and requested that I modify my diet.

yeeeow! reading this post made my eye water for some reason.

 

[citrine]

I cannot stand the gossip, the two-faced ones, and the crazy attitudes.
There is no place for an afternoon siesta.
Grown women somehow forget how to pee in the toilet bowl and get it all over the seat.....and LEAVE IT THERE....totally nasty.
People who do not clean up after themselves in the coffee room....I hate to think of what their homes look like!

 

[GoodSense]

- Co-worker's cell phone going off REALLY LOUD. When I politely suggested that I could show her how to set it on vibrate (she is 60 something and not good with technology), she glared at me and said she's waiting for an important call.

- Forced to listen to co-worker's calls to her ob-gyn (Too much information!) and to her vet about her cat's emotional distress and irregular bowel movement. (Forgot my headphones)

- Hear co-worker on the phone for at least 2 hours with poor Verizon Wireless rep trying to set up voicemail on her personal cell phone, which should take about 5 minutes

- Co-workers of the opposite sex and 40 years older cracking semi-sexual jokes and winking

- Boss gives me assignments but refuses to buy the software that allows me to work on the assignments. Stops by 2 days later and asks me how the assignments are coming along and stresses how important it is.

- Co-worker next door talking on the phone all day long about personal stuff. Unfortunately his life is extremely boring, and I get to hear the same boring story repeated a dozen times a day. Then he comes over to my cube at the end of the day and asks, "Wanna hear what bumper sticker I saw yesterday?" Thanks but no thanks.

I can go on...

 

[Texas2step]

I really like my job. But there are things in the office environment I really HATE.

morons who don't turn their cell phones to vibrate
cell phone conversations
hearing everybody's conversations
people in general
listening to neighbors eat at their desk and the smell
If I could work at home I would not retire

 

[armor99]

I think when you break it down all the way. There are just two types of workers in the world. There are the ones like myself, that actually NEED to accomplish things to feel decent at work. I find that I only get upset at work when I am put into a situation where I cannot do a good job. Lack of funds, lack of tools, lack of time, etc. I think that people like myself view our work as a reflection of ourselves. And just as we have a high opinion of ourselves, we generally want others to have a high opinion of our work as well. These are the same people that feel a sense of accomplishment when something might have been difficult, but was completed successfully.
Then, there is the other group of workers. These are the folks that will actively do the crappiest jobs possible, as long as the paycheck still comes in. I have seen my boss spend all day in his office doing absolutely NOTHING for days at a time. And he is completely, blissfully happy to do so. These are also the people that worry 24/7 about not being blamed for something, rather than doing a good job. How many times have you heard a co-worker say "Well... it all pays the same"... when being asked to do some form of utter drugery. To be honest... these folks scare me....

 

[Eyerishgold]

I have a love/hate relationship with my office. I love my job, love my commute, love my coworkers for the most part. But I HATE that I'm still working.

I should be on a beach in Hawaii right now!

Oh well.....soon enough.....soon enough.....

 

[maddythebeagle]

people in general

 

[travelover]

- Co-worker's cell phone going off REALLY LOUD. When I politely suggested that I could show her how to set it on vibrate (she is 60 something and not good with technology), she glared at me and said she's waiting for an important call.

- Forced to listen to co-worker's calls to her ob-gyn (Too much information!) and to her vet about her cat's emotional distress and irregular bowel movement. (Forgot my headphones)

- Hear co-worker on the phone for at least 2 hours with poor Verizon Wireless rep trying to set up voicemail on her personal cell phone, which should take about 5 minutes

- Co-workers of the opposite sex and 40 years older cracking semi-sexual jokes and winking

- Boss gives me assignments but refuses to buy the software that allows me to work on the assignments. Stops by 2 days later and asks me how the assignments are coming along and stresses how important it is.

- Co-worker next door talking on the phone all day long about personal stuff. Unfortunately his life is extremely boring, and I get to hear the same boring story repeated a dozen times a day. Then he comes over to my cube at the end of the day and asks, "Wanna hear what bumper sticker I saw yesterday?" Thanks but no thanks.

I can go on...

My solution when I was still working - shooter's earmuffs. Really knock out the loudest noises, plus they throw a pretty strong hint - though not strong enough for the most obnoxious orifices.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I think when you break it down all the way. There are just two types of workers in the world. There are the ones like myself, that actually NEED to accomplish things to feel decent at work. I find that I only get upset at work when I am put into a situation where I cannot do a good job. Lack of funds, lack of tools, lack of time, etc. I think that people like myself view our work as a reflection of ourselves. And just as we have a high opinion of ourselves, we generally want others to have a high opinion of our work as well. These are the same people that feel a sense of accomplishment when something might have been difficult, but was completed successfully.
Then, there is the other group of workers. These are the folks that will actively do the crappiest jobs possible, as long as the paycheck still comes in. I have seen my boss spend all day in his office doing absolutely NOTHING for days at a time. And he is completely, blissfully happy to do so. These are also the people that worry 24/7 about not being blamed for something, rather than doing a good job. How many times have you heard a co-worker say "Well... it all pays the same"... when being asked to do some form of utter drugery. To be honest... these folks scare me....

For many these are just the two phases of the same worker's career.

For the first 10-20 years you try to do a good job, suggest extra improvements,
do extra work, etc. Then you realize that much of the extra effort is not only not
rewarded, but penalized for 'rocking the boat'.

Then you slip into phase 2 - keep the paycheck coming in while not rocking the
boat. You still want to do a good job, but only good enough not to get yelled
at. All pride in your work has been leached out of you. Start serious RE planning.
Management reaps what they sow.

 

[Nords]

Gotcha. Sounded as if it was something that happened on those long sub missions.

Well, that's another research project that the Department of Defense will never share with the public.

But I think it's actually the shore duty that allows the problems to come to the fore. When we're on sea duty we're focused on getting things ready, getting underway, and getting on with the mission. Personal & family issues take a back seat, get solved without us, or just fester.

When sea duty turns to shore duty, though, it's kinda hard to ignore the crew's personality conflicts, the family divorce proceedings, the child-custody legal battles, the spouse infidelity, the baby's paternity test that doesn't match the husband... Sometimes the best leaders & performers are the least likely ones to admit that they're out of their depth and need some help.

One of the guys who committed suicide, a Navy diver, had been his salvage ship's Sailor of the Year. An E-6, he'd been awarded a Navy Commendation Medal. He'd just finished a psychological screening that cleared him for teaching submarine SCUBA diving-- a high-risk and very intensely physical/mental course that gets a lot of attention to make sure the instructors are "good people". When I last spoke to him he was happy to be on shore duty, ready to start teaching, and looking forward to the holiday weekend with his wife & young kids.

18 hours later he'd executed his wife, shot her boyfriend into a quadriplegic, and killed himself.

You can imagine the trauma to the families and the publicity. Signs of their marital problems were all over the housing neighborhood and the older son's elementary school. It had been simmering for nearly two years (the back half of his sea duty). Survivor benefits were a nasty issue. SECNAV sent an officer to the diver's funeral service with specific orders to ensure that no military courtesies or honors were rendered. Lawsuits & custody disputes are still unresolved nearly a decade later...

 

[bright eyed]

There were three things that I didn't like about my workplace: in no particular order it was the fires, the flooding, and the suicides.

And now for a lighter side: Nordblog: Das Boot "Simulating submarine life at home".

oh my goodness! i can't imagine anyone not coming out of that experience a little bonkers...

at first i thought it was your usual prolific/detailed writing that produced that list...as i was reading i was like, geez, nords sure is a detailed fellow (and a little nuts as a result of the time in the sub)...then i realized it was some compilation... haha