Posted on 03/16/2007 5:59:48 AM PDT by radar101
Yep. My DoD civilian boss has often in all sincerity explained to us contract empolyees that our purpose is to be on the job 8 hours a day every workday so that the govenment can afford their GS salaries and perks. We have a comment form asking for feedback about the service we provide. All the nice comments stopped the boss's desk. So I made a busines sized card telling clients how to complete the form online. My boss, of course, took credit for it when the big boss visited. (Sigh) Oh, well, it's the guys and gals in green that get me up in the morning.
I didn't think a male boss could ask those kind of questions. Asking a woman any question related to sex would cause a problem.
I have passion for school choice. A lot of teachers can't see how much it would help them -- even financially (depending on how it's set up).
I believe Sun Tzu says in "The Art of War" something along the lines that burning bridges behind you ensures added dedication to your mission. (i.e. You increase your chances of success, because now you HAVE to go forward)
I would just love it if a nosy person asked me questions like that. I would come up with the most disgusting set of diseases and symptoms that would make him vomit as I recalled each one.
"And then Mr. xxx my colon let out the most vile ........ right after that I developed sores which oozed........." You get the picture, have fun with it.
Heh.
A: Some organizations are sicker than others. Exhibit One is HollywoodCongress. There – I fixed it.
Yeah, including your freedom!
I believe in just approaching the boss with an air of understanding and good will... and a stapler in a brown paper bag.
"Boss, I find your decisions to be retarded and disasterous, your attitude beligerant, and the workplace environment poisonous"
"Uh... mind if I ask what's in the brown paper bag you just placed on my desk?"
"Pray to God you don't find out. But that's not what I'm here to talk about."
Owl_Eagle
If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.
Oh, I had just said, "Doctor's appts." When he pressed the issue (like the ass he was), I explained that I was going to the gyn. Then he made a snarky comment about female troubles, so I obliged him with exact details of WHY I was going.
A principal reason why Digital Equipment Corp. went out of business was the gang of new "managers" it hired in the early 80s. In this short space I cannot adequately describe the brutality some of them showered upon their subordinates. In one group one guy killed himself, another was committed to an asylum, and the rest were all fired for "incompetence." The boss kept all the profit sharing and bonuses for her group for herself. The "boss" was subsequently promoted. Of course, all meaningful work in the company stopped and ten years later the best, most profitable computer company in the world went out of business, top management first awarding themselves fabulous golden parachutes.
Over the years I have become my department supervisor (at a different company that is larger and very successful) and past experiences have taught me the patience to do the job, where 20 years ago I probably would have been too much of a hothead. My guys (and girls) all start out young and inexperienced, all I demand of them is to be flexible and good listeners, and they will become competent rather quickly.
I would just love it if a nosy person asked me questions like that. I would come up with the most disgusting set of diseases and symptoms that would make him vomit as I recalled each one.
"And then Mr. xxx my colon let out the most vile ........ right after that I developed sores which oozed........." You get the picture, have fun with it.
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That is what everybody says to do. Say, "Im having such a heavy flow this month and feel sick."
lol
Another bad thing is those who request technical advice, then insult the ones giving the instruction by disagreement with their professional assessment and go on to screw something up...
I just sit back and let them fail.
I am with you. My phrase is "covering ignorance with arrogance." I LOVE when managers try to tell me how to solve the IT problems. If they get cocky I simply tell them my poor skills are not match for theirs and go ahead and do it to their own satisfaction.
"Also the more abusive they are to their minions the more kiss-ass they are to their superiors."
That's a big reason why it's hard to get rid of these creeps. Another is that they use their position to claim credit for the work actually done by their subordinates. Bad bosses will also plant their toadies and informants among the workforce.
Things improved where I used to work when the employees were given the right to rate their supervisors by secret ballot. The boss suddenly became much nicer. It was not necessary to bash him unfairly on the forms; just telling the truth did the job, because he was acting in flagrant opposition to management's expressed ideals.
I'm in computers....When people ask me what I do, and I answer honestly, 7 times in 10, I get a followup: "Man, I'm having problems with my (PC, Stereo, DVD, HDTV) and I wonder what you think about how to fix it.." What do I look like? Dr. Answers? Go to Best Buy and pay for what you're trying to get off me for free!
Now, if I'm just making smalltalk (particularly with people I don't know and don't especially like), I tell them I'm a paramedic. I can talk intelligently about it - Parents were EMTs for 14 years each, best friend was one as well. If they persist on asking questions, I start telling grusome stories. That usually gets rid of them.
Bumping to e-mail later.
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