Sometimes I hate my job.

[Dinner]

Arghh!! Sometimes I hate my job. Like today I’m knee deep in the doo-doo because some of the field work I did for our largest client wasn’t done correctly. Normally, the memo my boss gives me has a summary of everything which needs to be completed while I’m at a job sight but for the last job the project manager forgot to include a few things on the summary form and since they weren’t there I didn’t perform the tasks. Now the client is miffed and the boss is unhappy because we have to revisit a sight and the project manager is claiming that even though he forgot to include those tasks on the summary I should have known by readding page XXX of the four hundred page work plan to find out.

I did try to call the project manager to double check with him before I left but he went out on break and I’m feeling like it’s not my fault and that it's unreasonable for me to have to know the entire 400 page work plan by heart including sampling schedules for a project that will probably take a decade to complete. It’s not like I had the dictionary sized work plan with me when I was out in the field. Now, I’m getting a written reprimand for not collecting this one sample set while the project manager, who forgot to include that sample set in his summary memo, is only getting a verbal reprimand.

Sometimes life isn’t fair.

[Cruddy]

No such thing as a bad soldier. Just bad officers...

Better start memorizing that 400 page document - and better a written reprimand than being fired.

It could have been worse.

[Dinner]

You are of course right. Still this reprimand will probably effect my raise next review period.

[Combat Ingrid]

This is to cheer you up

[Cruddy]

Then you'd better start building up some brownie points in other areas to countermand the effects... and make it clear you really have memorized that work plan. If you've learned from the experience, it wasn't a failure...

Hope this helps Oerdin. As you move up the promotion ladder you will appreciate that this idea "the bosses know everything" is bunk. Often the blather and propaganda conceals a profound ignorance.

[rah]

Take it like a man.
(especially since you're going to take it anyway)
When this situation is repeated, the real truth may come out. You're allowed to state the facts only once.
After that, you're either a whiner or a trouble maker.

Once you've been tabbed as the scapegoat, there's usually nothing you can do. (unless you've got some e-mails where you questioned the plan)

So take it like a man. You'd be surprised sometimes how certain people in the know will know what really happened.

RAH

[TCO]

good advice

[TCO]

damn...I didn't know you were mrumbling around.

[rah]

I'm pretty fast.

RAH
Today anyway.

[TCO]

Test sat.

[Dinner]

I told them I would go back out to the job site this weekend and redue the work in question without charging the company. Hopefully that will help earn those elusive brownie points and get me out of the dog house.

[rah]

If I was you manager, it would go a far way.
A simple rule of thumb for me, is the person that complains the most about who's at fault, usually is the one that is.

[Dinner]

I've come to the conclusion that I really want to be my own boss some day just so I can be the dumper instead of the dumpee. That means I'm going to half to start my own company since no one is going to make me the head of theirs.

[DanS]

Well, since you're the new guy, as long as you don't get labeled as incompetent, you can always self-evaluate it as a positive learning experience, etc. It's still bull****, of course.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I've come to the conclusion that I really want to be my own boss some day just so I can be the dumper instead of the dumpee. That means I'm going to half to start my own company since no one is going to make me the head of theirs.

You're never your own boss until you're retired on a ton of money. Self-employment just takes you out of the frying pan and puts you right on the fire - especially because a lot clients look for excuses not to pay you, or to gouge extra free work out of you.

Your manager or project manager or whoever is a real chicken****, though. One of my few cardinal rules as an employer is that anyone who blames a subordinate is out the door.

Even if it's the subordinate's "fault" - the manager/supervisor is responsible for his people.

My attitude is fix the problem, make sure it doesn't happen again, but don't come whining to me about how it's so and so's fault you can't manage people or jobs.