Communication Breakdown

They don't call the workplace a sandbox for nothing.

Our little sandbox is full of emotional five-year-olds, who figure the best way to get their way is to resort to childish methods...like refusing to talk to other people with whom they disagree or have a beef.

Yep, it's personal.

Case in point: One of our clients has in its employ a fellow against whom our CEO has carried a grudge for years. He won't admit it, but it's there.

Recently, our Fearless Leader all but told the client that if it were up to him, the man would be fired. Behind the scenes, he told us to not communicate at all with this individual.

The problem is, this person is the primary conduit through which essential communication flows from that business to others, including our's.

So we have been essentially crippled in managing our relationship with this company, all because our CEO thinks their CEO is an idiot for hiring this guy, and has forbidden us from talking to him.

Brilliant!

In sandbox vernacular: takes one to know one.

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.