What does Dilbert say about teambuilding?

The one thing I hate more than my job?

Going on a 2 day trip, including sleepover, with my 71 colleagues.

I had the pleasure to go on said trip this Monday & Tuesday.

Three positive things about it:

1. It ended as promised at 2 PM Tuesday.
2. Rumor has it, my organization is going to downsize. How is downsizing a good thing? They have plans to get rid of a large part of middle management by the end of the year. My manager = middle management.
3. Golf. I played golf for the first time. I actually enjoyed it! Especially hitting the balls as far as possible. That is… when I didn’t swing past the ball without hitting it, looking like a total fool.

So the trip actually brought hope. And “hoop doet leven” as we say here in Holland. “Hope makes life”... Bring on downsizing, if that will make my evil manager disappear. I just hope that does mean I get to keep my job.

Along with these positive things, I participated in the joy of serious team-building, experienced dreadful bus ride games and saw colleagues getting drunk on the free drinks (that’s a big no no in my book).

I’m a pain in the ..

I finally finished my homework. The last few days I spend with a friend from school working on a group assignment. It was a hell of a job, but we finished! Woohoo!

My weekend started very weird. Thursday I had worked from 7.30 AM to 6 PM and later that day at home from 9 PM to 11 PM. I did finish what I had to finish and made one of our directors a happy man. But I can’t help but wondering if my boss is worth the effort and energy I put in my work.

Thursday I also had my ‘yearly’ evaluation (except with my boss? It is more like once every 3 years) and it basically went a little something like this:

Psycho Boss: I have no comments on your work. Your work is fine, you perform well.
Me: OK…
Psycho Boss: But I do have a problem with your attitude.
Me: My attitude? What do you mean?
Psycho Boss: Yes. You HAVE to stop complaining about not having a proper job description.
Me: Excuse me?
Psycho Boss: I’ve had it up to (points to forehead) here with your complaints and your letters to my boss and whatnot.
Me: You HAVE got to be kidding me. You have had it with ME?I can imagine you don’t like the letters. But you do realize having a proper job description (and the salary that goes with it) is my legal right as a government employee?
Psycho Boss: Rights rights rights I’ve had enough of your rights. You’ll have to stop otherwise you’ll have to face the consequences.
Me: What do you mean ‘I have to stop or I’ll have to face the consequences?’
Psycho Boss: Just stop.

Let me just say, I, Sweety, will not be threatened or intimidated in any way, shape or form by any person, man or woman who thinks he has some sort of power or control over me. What was he thinking. It is impossible for him to fire me based on my complaints.

I’m strengthened in my decision to find another job (someone in need of an editor/ communications advisor? :)) On the other hand, I won’t let myself be blackmailed until I find that new job. So I have contacted my union representative. I gave him the ‘cart blanche’ he asked for about two weeks ago.

I’m sorry I’m boring you guys with work related posts. I try to avoid writing about it as much as possible, last Thursday though suddenly felt very personal and writing about it helps putting things in perspective.

Chocolat. PLEASE

Oh yeah. Sometimes it’s hard.

Mount Everest? Matter horn? NOTHING. Compared to the amount of homework I’ve been dealing with the last week.

One of my funniest, smartest and sweetest colleagues has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She’ll be in surgery next Wednesday.

I’ve been SO busy at work it’s not even remotely funny. Busy? A part of being so busy is caused by me. Yep. Me. I accidentally deleted a few important web pages. IT services took 3 weeks to find those files back. All is well now. But it caused some stress.

I can write a gazillion stupid things my psycho boss did this week. I won’t waste any words on him. I’ll just say he totally managed to hurt & belittle one of my most respected colleagues. She turned from being a strong intelligent woman in to a weak insecure girl. He really is a psycho. I SO need to find another job.

No positive notes from me today.

In stead, tell me why your day was positive!

The Ass has gone mad

Let it be, Let it be, Let it be oooooohoooo, Let it be #10

Something scary happened today. More than ones actually. My manager (aka The Ass) was … was… he.. was.. I can’t say it in one sentence. “He” ehm. was friendly.

First, he noticed I was there after being home sick for two days. He asked how I was doing and if I was feeling okay. Later he asked how my study is going along and he asked me if I had dyed my hair. At lunch time he asked me & a few other colleagues to join him for lunch. He almost agreed on me moving to another room where a very cool colleague works and when he left, he said “Have a wonderful weekend”.

He has never asked me how I’m doing. He never asks anyone. And today he was just someone else. There is no way in the world a person can do a 180 like this. He NEVER says goodbye when he leaves.

What made him do this my suspicious mind asks itself …..what made him turn to from the anti Christ into Mr. nice guy??? My genius grey matter came with the following possibilities:

1. He was kidnapped by a bunch of Care Bears and was beamed into friendliness. It was the pink one. I swear.
2. His wife finally gave him sex after 3 years of abstinence.
3. He needs something from me. What I have yet to find out.
4. He read my post about Mayo the other day. He decided to buy a Mayo managers book and he now is a perfect Human Relations manager.
5. He’s jelly pot glasses gone foggy and he has mistaken me from being his boss.
6. He was struck by lightning and his evil brain side was severely damaged.
7. His alter –more friendly like- ego finally popped out and won the multi personality battle. We will not refer to this side as The Ass, but as The Heart, ‘cuz my manager CARES for his people. Don’t you say otherwise!! Hallelujah!
8. He has read “How to make friends and influence people”.
9. He was abducted by aliens, they sucked out his soul and now E.T. has taken over his body.
10. He has found another job.

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEAAASE!!!!!!!!! I’m begging!!!! Let it be no. 10!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeassse!

Uhm. Act like you’re normal Sweety.

Calling the Service Desk

Please hold..

Please hold..

Please hold..

Please hold..

Beep Beep..

“John”: John
Me: Hi John, this is Sweety from room 1234. I want to report a broke heater.
“John”: Oh.
{Pause}
Me: Oh?
“John”: …
Me: Will you send someone up to fix it? It’s getting kind off cold in here.
“John”: No
Me: No???
“John”: I’ll register your complaint in the computer.
Me: … and than?
“John”: ….
Me: How long will it take for someone to get over here and help me?
“John”: I don’t know.
Me: You DON’t know.
“John”: ….
Me: You’re not being very helpful “John”.
“John”: You’re not the only one with this problem, ya know.

Now “John”, next time try:

“John”: Service desk. This is John, how can I help you?
Me: Hi John, this is Sweety from room 1234. I want to report a broke heater.
“John”: I’m very sorry; the heater unfortunately broke down in the entire building. We don’t know how long it will take, but we’re doing everything we can.
Me: Thank you John.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR I’m freezing!

Sweety vs. D.A.

I’m sorry I haven’t been around here this week. I’ve been having a stressed time at work. I’ve been promoted 1.5 years ago, but never actually got the money involved with this new job. For about 6 months I thought that was okay; I felt the need to prove I could do it before asking for money. But now, I KNOW I can do it. I even got a bonus for part of the job in December.

Still I believe I should not get a one time bonus (though I’m grateful that I got it!). I’m doing this job every day, I should get a raise.
So that’s what I’ve been asking for about a year now. Unfortunately my insane incompetent freak manager (did I mention he NEVER had a management training) doesn’t seem to want to help me and refused to talk to me about it this week TWICE.

It’s upsetting me, because it’s SO unfair.
I know there are other ways to get what I deserve. I already got some good advice from the head of human resource department of another government organisation. The employee rights are pretty much equal in government organisations here. And yes, we concluded I'm right in this.
But really, do I want to play it hard? Do I want to kick his incompetent ass?

So that’s what I’ve been up to this week. I have not let it influence my job, instead I worked even harder. But it’s exhausting and when I get home I don’t feel like writing on my blog.

I promise to be around here & all your lovely blogs more as of now!

Remember Bob the Toilet guy?

“You’re being old-fashioned” my manager said when I mentioned the Bob incident.

Me: I’m WHAT?
Him: Yes. I use the ladies room too when the men’s room is occupied.
Me: I certainly hope you’re not peeing next to the toilet (and realizing it might not be BOB peeing on the floor of the ladies room) too.
Him. Hahaha
Me: I don’t think it’s funny. It’s utterly gross.
Him: Oh well.

Some time has past since I had this conversation with my manager. No dirty toilet since. I wonder if we accused the wrong guy all along…

A day in and out the office with Sweety

Or: not all women can read directions

I can’t for example. I took every wrong turn there was to take on a 3 minute walk (shut up!) today. So I walked 20 minutes to my interview appointment. And spend the rest of the day interviewing a colleague at his home, in his sunny (77F mmm) garden to be precise.

Sometimes I just love my job. Among other things, I write articles for our company (personnel) magazine and sometimes I have to interview someone to write the article. The subject (paid leave of absence that you get when you have kids) was suitable for an at home interview.

And the weather gods were with me! Thank you weather gods! I’ll have FreezeM sacrifice another killer strawberry for you tonight.

A perfect afternoon after a hilarious morning.
Our manager gets off on likes to “please” the people higher up in the organisation. He’s not the only one I’m sure. While he manages to lose the important stuff somewhere in his one cell superior mind, he runs like crazy for the higher ups in the organisation. So the minister (I work for the government) made a remark about how we all should dress properly during summer time. This remark was meant for all 3000 employers.

To be at her service, this morning he send our department an email saying something like:

“Please do not come to work wearing your underwear”.

Needless to say I almost wet my underwear when I read that. Since he occupies the room next to me he probably heard me laugh. And forgot about it about a second later.

Go away!

I found these on my office phone today. I spend a lot of time away from my desk, so I’m used to the missed calls thing, but this is CRAZY. *deleting log & thinking send me an email*

Don’t hug the messenger

My boss, who I refer to as The Demotivator called in sick today. I found out while calling another department. It struck me as odd my colleagues and I weren’t informed even though a department meeting was planned today. So decided to inform my closest colleagues.

The first 3 reactions were (in chronological order):

1. Are you serious? Now we’ll finally be able to get some work done.
2. So the man is human after all.
3. Yes! (while making a subtle jump in the air)

But alas he’ll be back.