I'm Your Manager

Ever worked somewhere and had that one person who was just miserable?

They hate to work. They hate ideas that involve them doing anything at all. They don't think they should have to do anything. They're just irritated to be awake...

This episode is about said person...

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:19

We are live. Coming to you directly from Nashville this morning. Today, we're in Nashville to do a uh balloon LED marquee convention with my wife. Uh it's an annual thing. We do it every year. So I am in town tonight, so you can see behind me. For the YouTube people, you can see behind me, I'm at an Airbnb. Uh crashing here for three or four days. But uh it's a nice place, pretty small, but quaint. Nashville's a great town. Uh we went out last night, it's kind of like Vegas last night. Last time we were here we were uh in January, so it was shit ass freezing outside, and it wasn't too populated. Last night it was like frickin' New York. Wasn't really a big fan, but still fun to people watch, and you see a lot of interesting shit. Played out some time last night in a piano bar. That was a good time. And uh I think we were just a little toasted from the drive down. Took us about six hours to get here, but we're having a good time and we'll continue to do so. So, this episode of the podcast, I'm your manager. I'm going to begin this episode with a disclaimer that they, them, he, she, it is not an attack on the pronoun culture directly. I am merely trying to mask the gender of a particular person that I'm speaking about in my story. On a side note, the statement right now is a direct jab to anyone using deeply involved identifying language to complicate the human description of yourself. Just fucking knock it off. It's ridiculous. No one cares. Well, besides you and the person you're dating. And you aren't that important. I'm sorry, you're just not. Don't be mad at me or anyone else who sees you as for what you are, and not what you pretend to be. This trend is old hat. Find something else fun and interesting to do with your wild god given imagination and leave us fun loving, free thinking individuals alone. Okay. Let's begin. The Lane Bream Podcast and I've got questions. They them, he, she it fence post is really not the problem. It's the job that's the problem. Recently we've had a coworker, pretty much a new hire, they them, he, she, it pothole, had done some work for us before and was fully aware of what they were getting into when they them he she it tree stand was getting prior to was getting into prior to coming into the position, right? Uh I would say that a month into the position of actually working full-time, uh, as they, them, he, she, it, yarn ball had only worked limited hours before, like part-time hours. So now they've come into full employment. Those part-time hour days allowed they, them, he, she, it, thumbtack the ability to say peace out when their work was completed, unlike the rest of us full-time folks who needlessly stick around until our desired uh departure time. So basically that's done just so management can feel as though they've gotten a full use of our day and because they wouldn't want to be lonely if we all left because all the work was completed. So yeah, make that make sense to me. But that's about our job. Our job is gonna be another discussion for a topic coming up soon because I've simply had it with the place, uh, being away from it for a week, going down to Florida with my my family to go to my daughter's uh dance competition, which she fucking killed at. Anyway, we'll we'll talk about that. So regarding them, they, he, she, it. The hours that go by at my work are typically grueling, composed of many different tasks that are mostly made up on the fly. Uh, more often than not, you are so busy that you're not sitting down for more than a stretch of two to three minutes if you can snag that, which happens very rarely. Um, besides your half-hour lunch break, of course. Uh I won't go into the full details of the job, but to put it blankly, the job is not rewarding and there is no end to the work. So once you get one project done, there is another project waiting. Have you ever seen the series The Bear on FX? It's exactly like that. Mayhem and confusion and as to why we're doing the things that we do them the way that we do them. It's just frustration, it's complete fatigue mentally and physically as your body carries out the tasks that your mind cannot wrap its head around. So, you know how with other jobs you can take ownership of a great presentation, be a part of a collaborative team, and be proud of a completed project. You actually see your hard work and the effort that go into a finished product or outcome, and you can be proud of it. Maybe it makes someone else happy or proud. Maybe you get a reward or a job well done from the boss or management. Um, you could receive extra monetary reward, a compensation for your hard work and effort. You get the idea. That doesn't happen here. I'm sure you've had one of those jobs where you've been rewarded in some form or fashion for your energy, your enthusiasm, your passion for the work. None of that takes place where I work. You move from one task to the next, troubleshooting, putting out fires, and there's no time made for anyone to say, Hey, great job. Hey, you're doing awesome. I would have never thought of that. I'm so glad you're part of the team. Again, you get the idea. So the work environment is serious, but the employees goof around and say ridiculous shit to try to lighten up the load a bit, you know. When I first arrived on the job, I was ready to pull my hair out and tell the boss how the place needs to be run, where a lot of deficiencies can be improved upon, just by managing the employees better. The amount of screwing around that took place was off the charts. I'm it literally drove me up the wall nearly every single day to see the amount of fuckery that went on and to know how much more work we could have got done if the fuckery had not taken place. But it took me several months to acclimate to just how things were run around this place. No matter what system you think of, no matter what improvement you can come up with, it is still going to be run this way. You just have to come in, survive the firestorm, leave at your designated time. And I think this is where they them he she it pinky toe is currently at in their life choice, job choice. They them he she it shipping container came from a position where they them he she at frosting made the hours, made the schedule, went into work when no one was around specifically, did what they them he she at Barn Owl had to do, and then left by ten or eleven in the morning and that was finished for the day. So I get it. I get it. Now you report into work at 7 30 or 8 in the morning. I think that you have an idea what you're gonna do when you get there to effectively efficiently run your day and leave with a feeling satisfied that you worked your plan and was able to leave on your own terms, but instead you arrive to a plan that will eventually get turned on its head. You don't have the supplies that you need to even start your day, which then extends your day to at least another hour or two, unless you go a thousand miles an hour, faster to try to compensate and complete everything in a shorter amount of time so your day can end when you supposedly wanted it to end. And you also have several employees that while doing your job are constantly clowning around to distracting your focus, your focused mind, your focused attention. So it takes some getting used to, is what I'm saying basically. There is a flow to the day at work, not a successful workflow, but one that just gets used. The idea that you have little control over what takes place while you're in the place because the owner has ADD like no other, and all other employees have to adjust his thoughts and conditions, which he creates pretty much on the fly every day. Got a plan for the day, and you're successfully implementing it and it's mid-morning. Nah, fuck you. I'm coming in and pull you in, and then you can try to do what you want to do, but this is what I want to do. While I stand over your shoulder and tell you how I want it made, I know that I'm completely capable of doing it myself, and I would benefit the business if you just stayed working on the group task, which would produce the thing that made excess money, but I'd rather you did this instead. Here's the thing once you get used to that, you're all pissed off, but you still see that everyone else is dealing with the same conditions. So putting on a miserable face all day, not talking to anyone, or at least going from talking to only a few people to now everyone else is the problem, will not serve you in this situation. Saying, fuck this, I'm out, and leaving at lunch not only makes us all work harder to finish the day, but how do you do that and not get fired? Yes, that's happened. Obviously, I bring it up for a good reason. And I'll tell you why. Management there is weak, ownership is even weaker, and good help is hard to find. So here is my dilemma, the lane brain's dilemma. As much as I dislike my role at this job, I get the sense that people will follow me and I am a good leader. I know exactly the kind of pep talk, come to Jesus conversation that needs to be had with they them he she at Paper Shredder, but it's not my place. I've held a teacher's position as well as a manager's position for many years, and that's why it burns my ass to watch them as they them he she at Campbell Soup label carries on like this without pulling this person aside and having a calm and sensitive conversation about they them he she at posthol driver's feelings and concerning myself with what's going on with you, what happened, how can I help solve your problem? How can we get you back on board with us and help you appreciate your position again? Because your attitude sucks and people don't know work with you, because you are literally a dark cloud 80% of the fucking day. I recognize, having spoken to they them he she at Stamp Press, that a significant person in their life passed when they were young and they were impressionable. I know that they them he she at tank does not want to live in this region of the lovely United States any longer. And they them he she at Curtainrod has a burning desire to move to Florida where it's full of sunshine and warmer temps year round. But there are also fire ants, alligators, snakes, recluse spiders. Maybe you could befriend one of those great creatures. If I'm your manager, I'm pulling you aside, I'm assessing what started you down this road of behaving the way that you feel. I'm asking you what we could work on to make your life and the team's life even better. It could be just a couple bad days, it could be a major complaint against a coworker that I'm not aware of, it could be that you're not getting enough vape breaks, fuck if I know you poor soul. It could be anything, but I don't know unless I ask, which is what management should be doing there. I'm first on your side, empathetic to your situation, to your needs, just so as not to lose you as a member of an already small team, which in turn would create more work for the rest of us, like I said. I'm also reminding you that you were a part of a team, and if you continue on this this track that you're on, your team is not going to want to work with you, or be around you, or have anything positive to say about you, if the boss asks, which he won't. So how is so-and-so working out? Given that the way that they them he she it service elevator is feeling at the moment, something along those lines. Uh currently, however, this is not my role. My role is to basically work alongside you in a cooperative manner to finish out each aggressive, aggravating project that needs to be completed in a timely manner so that both of us can leave this pit of hell at a desired time so I could start my third position of the day. The one that I prefer to donate my time and energy to, my family. My empathy driven soul is tired, tired of putting your needs above mine or the groups. Having lived this way for nearly four decades through my career choices, I was expected to be an empath in my role. I feel for you. But it's on you. No one is particularly delighted to be standing on concrete for over eight hours, sitting very little, resting even little. Little er, more little, littler. Uh having their brain and body operating at 5,000 RPMs, problem solving, borderline mad for five fucking days straight. We're all tired, we're all just trying to get through, staring at an unhappy face with an even worse disposition is not the desire for anyone here. So I guess I would use the phrase shape up or ship out. So tell me, how did I handle this? Well, I uh I put a small scoop of raw sugar in her coat pocket. She didn't think it was funny and she shot me daggers. Whatever. Sink or swim. That's all I got for you today. That's it. Me as a manager or me being the manager. Uh so thanks for allowing me to bitch and get this out. Once again, I'll be bringing about another episode discussing the job. I might just throw in my whole career path, jobs, and all that shit that I've done throughout my whole life. Could be an interesting topic of discussion or topic that you might be interested in listening to. But I'm not trying to project negative energy onto you guys. I'm really dry just trying to get it out of me. So I just thought you could share in my cute story. Um But I've also liked to try to keep you all in check. Lighten up, everyone. If you'd like to join me on the lane brain and be a guest on the podcast, reach out to me on Instagram at the Lane Brain, Facebook at the Lane Brain. Email me at T-H-E-E-L-A-N-E B-R-A-I-N at gmail.com. Send me something funny and interesting. Show topics, questions, words of encouragement. Also, if you'd like to leave me a message, recording, like a call-in, topic of discussion, you have any questions or something else you want to talk about, uh call the number 419-482-8650. This is the Lame Brain Podcast.