Maybe I'm taking my job too seriously

[Pekka]

But I'm not bitter.. I just vented some.. I like my job pretty much too.. experience man, experience.

Also!!!! I forgot.. I brought a big bottle of Finlandia Vodka from Estonia.. time to get WASTED!!!!!!!! YEEHAAAAAA tonight is the night of Pekka lovers (that is me because I love myself the best and I only accept the best lovers).. TOodadoo!

[LordShiva]

Meh. Suck it up.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Also, read "The Fountainhead."

[Barnabas]

I think you need a "massage"

the kind of massage that is illegal and cots 300 dollars if you know what i mean

[Pekka]

Actually, that's a great idea.

[Dinner]

Hell, he lives near Russia. It would probably cost him a bottle of vodka and a can of shoe polish.

[Pekka]

Man, you get it twisted now... it's like the opposite. The locals are freaking expensive (and not even that hot, they just think they are) and the 'imports', well they are a lot cheaper and sometimes pretty too but the problem is they are pretty much controlled by criminals and stuff.. you know, pimps.. and I'm not talking about nice smooth pimp daddys with the occasional slap but real hardcore criminals with no hair and stupid leather jackets and gun under their belt which they most likely have used in the last year.

So no, I don't want to contribute to that mess. Those girls are pretty much slaves, and in fact they are. I will not give my money to that.

[Dinner]

[Pekka]

now that I have your attention, what do you think.. I might get an opportunity to serve in the peacekeeping troops in some remote craphole. It's actually tough to get into those troops because there are so few spots and multiple times the candidates that are all qualified. However, I'm in a good spot now, because I have 'special skills' that are currently in demand in few places we have people, plus I'd have the time soon.. I coudl easily go for a 6 month (or even 1 year) rotation. 6 months isn't bad. I'd get my gun back!

Plus.. it's not for hte money because it's not that much anyway. However, I'd be in their for the experience, you know.. I'd be a sergeant so I wouldn't have to take the lowest salary or stuff like that. I'd like to do something good for a while, something for others as well as myself. Now I'm building myself up, but it would be a chance to contribute to something, maybe building a school or something like that so it'll help some.. not much, but some. I'd get to work out a lot so that's good because I haven't had the chance, plus this is _greatly_ appreciated by the local employers here. It's like the whole army thing here is a big plus, because it is expected that everyone has served, so if you do extra or have some rank, that's always a plus. Most employers are actually reserve officers so you know.. it's a good thing to carry around, the experience.

I haven't always been too happy about joining, because I have been fined for smoking teh pot(!) when I was a teenager. This is a BAD thing in here, but now I'm older, more experienced, and I have good credentials and those skills they need. So... I'm standing to have a good shot at being accepted, considering my service went good.

So what do you think? It's not much, but I'm not looking for much. Prolly would see some miserable human fates, crappy roads, working out, few patrols, talking to locals, trying to fix something (and miserably failing).. I'm in it for the experience and also I could say I've done something. Not much, but something. Or at least tried.

Your thoughts? It's the only place we, as Finns can go because we don't have military operations beyond that.

Right now there might be an opportunity to go to Lebanon soon. I'm thinking about that.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Datajack Franit
Italian way of life lesson #1: to the least you can, and if you think you work too much, pretend to be sick and have a cappuccino with a scandinavian girl instead

I like that philosophy

Pekka, I think you are learning very quickly about the true order of the workplace. Yeah, it is stressful, but for some of us, that is life day-in-day-out. I have to deal with this kind of sh*t all the time, but the company doesn't even have the respect for me to give me a promotion or a payrise despite the fact I get the lab out of the sh*t all the time. Bah!

[Pekka]

PH, yeah man, that's the next lesson I will learn and then I will be depressed; no promotion ahead even though I deserved it. .. and the worst is if your managers etc gives you the idea that if you keep working like you do plus do this extra, you will be promoted.. and then it somehow is forgotten.

That's bad leadership, because that is abusing the trust. If it is forgotten that is. If you ask for a favor, then you do a good thing if you pay it back when you can. That's the trust part... when you 'forget about it', well that just means the weight you carried didn't mean much to them. It was expected anyway.

Yeah... I have my things straightened out for a year from now on as well and it feels good.. you know I lived all the way up to this point basically, when you didn't know what you're doing or what will happen. I still don't know what will happen, but I have no stress about the future so much anymore, since everything so far has worked out, things that I planned.

Oh well.. and YES I realize that for many people it is like this all the time, for years and more. Then again, life sucks anyway so you might as well get someone to suck yours ..

But I really don't like bad leadership. I think I'm a good leader, I know my place, I know my responsibilities and I do it even though it would mean I have to stay for extra time. And for me the number 1 thing is the emplyoees. This is important. I manage them, so by managing them right and fairly, the results will be more likely than if I disregarded them and their wishes. In such cold place anyway, it's important that at least they know that someone is looking out for them and does their absolute best to grant wishes, if it doesn't work out, it means it just doesn't work out and not because their boss didn't care or didn't have the time or what ever.

Not everyone realizes that you are the only contact to the employer, so you represent the employer at all times from the first day they step in to the last day when they get out. Everyone has needs, but all that matters is hitting the targets. How are you going to accomplish both, hitting the targets and being fair at all times? It's not contradictory as some would think. When you earn the respect, they will do their current best anyway, not because the work sucks and they have to, but because you're a team and everyoen contributes. Good atmosphere is the key to all accomplishments so... why not work on that? I know it's easier if you do it with a stick, but if you can do it without the stick, it's better and lasts. I see burned out people every day, so when you stick them, you're not hitting the targets.

Furthermore, bad leadership will lead to bad results anyway. You know, my managers never asked me if I needed something to help me with my work. All I get is demands. I've gotten compliments few times but hey, that's like giving a medal, why don't you give me a raise instead?

Also, I've given a raise to everyone I can. I can give summer workers a raise, and I always give it unless they are total ****** and don't do their job. They deserve it and they deserve more but hey that's the way it goes. Some people won't give you the raise unless you're the world champion. Why not? It's not like it's away from your own salary.. basically they just are ******.

THere's tons of things I think a good manager does and doesn't do, are my managers qualified? Absolutely they are. Do they appreciate things? At least they don't show it.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Spiffor

That's your only problem.

You are obviously dealing with ****ers, who have a company worth billions, but who can't spare a few extra employees to alleviate the burden on the regulars. And these ****ers are right: as long as it works, why the hell would they cut on their profits? They're not a ****ing charity.

Again, this is the case where I work. People are up in arms at my workplace but there is very little outlet for this or way of dealing with it.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Pekka
PH, yeah man, that's the next lesson I will learn and then I will be depressed; no promotion ahead even though I deserved it. .. and the worst is if your managers etc gives you the idea that if you keep working like you do plus do this extra, you will be promoted.. and then it somehow is forgotten.

That's bad leadership, because that is abusing the trust. If it is forgotten that is. If you ask for a favor, then you do a good thing if you pay it back when you can. That's the trust part... when you 'forget about it', well that just means the weight you carried didn't mean much to them. It was expected anyway.

My employers have broken my trust. I've worked like a dog also, but when it came to handing out bonuses and pay increases, they forgot about all the positives and remembered the very few negatives. Fact is with the staffing level they have, it is very difficult to keep up with everything. But the managers don't see that, they see what they want doing but have no f**king idea how little resource we have and how much we have to do with it.

Yeah... I have my things straightened out for a year from now on as well and it feels good.. you know I lived all the way up to this point basically, when you didn't know what you're doing or what will happen. I still don't know what will happen, but I have no stress about the future so much anymore, since everything so far has worked out, things that I planned.

Oh well.. and YES I realize that for many people it is like this all the time, for years and more. Then again, life sucks anyway so you might as well get someone to suck yours .

Yeah, it's like this all the time. Deal with it when you know it is very difficult to get out of, problem is, I am worth more than I earn but the science sector is so crap I am having difficulty finding a job that pays enough to get out - I have companies and agencies all over me who want my skills and abilities, but then won't pay me appropriately for them!

[Pekka]

PH, one thing is interesting though,.... it seems almost impossible to have outlets for the things.. you know, getting wasted just doesn't do it. So what are you going to do? Yeah, we have all kinds of meetings about developing everything, but that's just another place where you can 'screw up if you don't have any ideas'. And if you have ideas, you will be assigned to the team that develops the idea and it's like a project, however, do you get paid for it? No. You get to work extra. And then there will be 50% of people who likes the new way, and 50% who preferred the old way so now there's tons of people hating your ass.

What did it accomplish? Nothing. More work and more enemies .

[Provost Harrison]

Yeah, if we have an idea, we get the extra work. And perhaps somewhere down the line, maybe, perhaps, some recognition, if they remember or aren't too tight to acknowledge it by then...

[Pekka]

One thing is also pretty clear... it's not what you do, it's who you know. So when there's an opening for the next level, it's not the most qualified that will get it for sure. It's the one who is liked the best by the one who chooses. And that position might have been 'opened' just because you have to do it, but the actual spot was already assigned to someone before it ever 'opened'....