Mr. Negativity

My boss accuses me of being negative when I question processes and various requests. I think I'm just doing my job when I point out some of the more obvious flaws that are not recognized. Minor things, I suppose, like getting ahead of ourselves before the company is really ready to take on additional loads.

Sure, I'm all about growth, expansion, and moving forward. However, when the task falls to me to clean up messes made because we weren't ready, I think I have a right to question the "ready, fire, aim" mentality.

Perhaps it's not healthy, but I've nearly given up trying to figure out what this guy wants.

If I zig, he zags.

He gives me one set of instructions, and then issues the same task, sometimes with altered directions, to several others. The result is a chunky soup with too many cooks working on the broth, which no one can swallow.

I am not being negative.

But I am no yes-man, either.

WUSS!

I mentioned earlier that my industry is a 24/7, 365-days a year business. There typically are no days off, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and maybe New Years. Certainly no banking holidays.

For years I have been highly critical of the government practice of
a.) passing out holidays like free money, and
b.) moving momentous dates around on the calendar to make said holidays more convenient to take.

For example, Columbus Day 2008 is on a Sunday, but in true government style, they're making Monday the holiday for a nice, long, three-day weekend. I would love to see a GAO report detailing what this wasteful practice costs you and me as taxpayers.

I must work on Good Friday.
I really don't mind it.
Less traffic, fewer phone calls.
It will be a somewhat tranquil day, by comparison.

I do resent, however, some in my business who think of what they do for us as a hobby, a mere afterthought, and who believe that any holiday is a holiday for them.

We have one individual who works from home.
He's paid good money for what he does.
Doesn't have to get dressed to do his job for us.
Doesn't have to commute.
Really has a plum situation.

You guessed it: He wants off for Good Friday.
Flippin' wuss.

Juvenile!

We work with a lot of different, difficult clients. They all have egos the size of battleships, which must be stroked as well as managed-- and in some cases manipulated a little to our advantage. Hey that’s life.

Sometimes they cross swords, and that’s when stupid decisions are made.

Recently the underling of one of these people was implicated (wrongly, I believe) in a bash-session at a party. Alcohol was flowing freely, and although the underling did not partake, he was fingered as the source of several unsavory comments directed towards our CEO.

Hmm, who do you want to believe, someone else’s sober employee or your own, inebriated lush?

Now, the edict has come down from the mountain top that this person is not to be communicated with, even though he is the conduit to a major client. Isn’t that the most intelligent move you’ve ever heard?

This is a high-maintenance client, too.
We call them PITA’s—Pains In The Ass.
Even have a framed Golden PITA Award we circulate around the office.

So what’s the best way to manage a high-PITA client?
Communication.

What’s this juvenile delinquent’s solution?
Ignore the client’s messenger.
Unbelievable.

Apparently, PITA is a contagious condition.