Two Things and Then....Anger
First, by request, the title of the book that I've pulled my business essays from is "Best Practice, Ideas and Insights from the World's Foremost Business Thinkers" Perseus Publishing, 2003.
Second, my son called me on point 5 of my last blog about whether something we KNOW can be false. I think the debate about what is knowledge and what is belief underlies some of our headlines these days, particularly the evolution vs. intelligent design debate. I'll debate it with him next week.
I've been mulling over what to write about Widgets, where people are being "asked" to work very long hours, sometimes six or seven days a week to meet ridiculous commitments to the customers by upper management.
The more I thought about how to respond, the more I asked myself what compels me to respond at all. I had to dig a little into that dark closet that is my mind but I found the answer today.
I'm angry at that place.
I'm angry because I had to leave a job that exactly fit my skills and abilities and that involved working with some of the smartest, most interesting, and most fun people I have ever known. I had to leave because the games played by many of the managers and the utter contempt of the top management for realistic planning created what I felt was a hostile, stressful workplace. The stress was eating away at my entire life. When someone in management sneered at me and asked "Why do you work here?" I knew I had to go.
I'm also angry because the people still at Widgets, people that I truly care about, are treated worse than I've ever seen anyone treated in an organization (except at the Going Postal Service I suppose). They are treated badly while being promised it will all get better if they can just get past the next deadline (which leads to the next deadline). They are treated badly and rewarded with pizza, snack bars, and standard job benefits like training which is portrayed as an amazing concession by management. The people who run the place understand very little about who works there and what they want and need. In fact, they hardly understand the Internet or how you organize work for that medium.
Yes, I have a good, if not exciting, job at an excellent company where my coworkers are friendly, cooperative, talented and professional. My manager is funny, realistic, and appreciative of what I do on an ongoing basis. My psyche recovered when I left Widgets and I also got back several hours each day that I would have been working. I should be happy...I should drop the whole Widgets thing.
Unfortunately, I'm still angry at that place. I think I'll be angry for a long, long time.
Second, my son called me on point 5 of my last blog about whether something we KNOW can be false. I think the debate about what is knowledge and what is belief underlies some of our headlines these days, particularly the evolution vs. intelligent design debate. I'll debate it with him next week.
I've been mulling over what to write about Widgets, where people are being "asked" to work very long hours, sometimes six or seven days a week to meet ridiculous commitments to the customers by upper management.
The more I thought about how to respond, the more I asked myself what compels me to respond at all. I had to dig a little into that dark closet that is my mind but I found the answer today.
I'm angry at that place.
I'm angry because I had to leave a job that exactly fit my skills and abilities and that involved working with some of the smartest, most interesting, and most fun people I have ever known. I had to leave because the games played by many of the managers and the utter contempt of the top management for realistic planning created what I felt was a hostile, stressful workplace. The stress was eating away at my entire life. When someone in management sneered at me and asked "Why do you work here?" I knew I had to go.
I'm also angry because the people still at Widgets, people that I truly care about, are treated worse than I've ever seen anyone treated in an organization (except at the Going Postal Service I suppose). They are treated badly while being promised it will all get better if they can just get past the next deadline (which leads to the next deadline). They are treated badly and rewarded with pizza, snack bars, and standard job benefits like training which is portrayed as an amazing concession by management. The people who run the place understand very little about who works there and what they want and need. In fact, they hardly understand the Internet or how you organize work for that medium.
Yes, I have a good, if not exciting, job at an excellent company where my coworkers are friendly, cooperative, talented and professional. My manager is funny, realistic, and appreciative of what I do on an ongoing basis. My psyche recovered when I left Widgets and I also got back several hours each day that I would have been working. I should be happy...I should drop the whole Widgets thing.
Unfortunately, I'm still angry at that place. I think I'll be angry for a long, long time.
posted by changingagain at 7:01 PM
5 Comments:
Does That Place still affect your life? Then you should be angry. Don't let it.
this sounds like the hurt-filled comments from a jilted lover. were you really that betrayed?
I understand what he means, and why he's still angry.
To use a really stupid metaphor, it's like being forced to leave your girlfriend, whom you love, and she loves you, because he father does nothing but abuse you. You're powerless to prevent the abuse, so you have no other choice but to leave.
You have to do it, for your own health, and you're angry for being forced to give up something you love.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I like ed's comment and the one that was deleted because it hurt someone's feeling.
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