Co-Workers

[fortyearspickn]

i found company picnics were a good opportunity to get to know a few people from other departments you only interacted with by phone or memo. Yeah - 'memo' as in before email and txt messages.   I (successfully) resisted pressures from staff to let them work from home, 20 years ago.  I knew there was no way to measure or evaluate work performed, let alone performance of someone I might only see twice a month, sitting in a 'meeting' to discuss generalities.    I retired 10 years ago,  but it seems those who now work at home now are not very productive. Drop off and pick up kids from school - and arrange work schedule around it.    And, since staff will either know or think they know - who the slackers are,  if you as manager do NOT - you'll lose all credibility.  They will expect you to not only 'know' but to do something about it.  Otherwise, water will seek its own level and they'll become slackers too.     There use to be a term  "Management By Walking Around".   It worked well, along with being 'available' with an open door.   Professionals want to do a good job, and realize they have to be able to demonstrate that they are.  It is easier for them to do that if they can talk with you.   The 5% who do not want to do a good job - either perform at a 'satisfactory' level, are evaluated as such and accept it, or eventually fall below 'acceptable' and your job is then figuring out how to move them out.   

That all has to do with 'staff'.  Co-workers, peer managers , etc.  will mostly be OK.  But you can be sure there will ALWAYS be a few looking to step on you to elevate themselves.  A good director or executive will be smart enough to deal with that.  If your  boss, at any level, isn't smart enough (or ethical enough)  - you are screwed. It's just a matter of time. 

[duane v]

I like the collaborative environment where I work. 

Certainly there are exceptions, but I have always felt the work space is what you make of it. 

[merciful-evans]

Its not essential, but I prefer to get on with people I work with. Yes I had some colleagues that became personal friends. I don't see any of them now mind. Moved on I suppose.

I originally worked for British Aerospace, but there were many company takeovers. We had a bunch of thugs in charge of us once. Arrogant, hostile and nepotist. They were a Scottish family who had run Ford uk. They bought themselves an aircraft factory. They ordered us to weld the wing panels because riveting takes too long. We had to get the customer to set them straight because those wings would have separated from the fuselage. This is shocking but perfectly true.

By the time I retired we had become GE Aviation and were working for Americans. The company had been overly political before, but this was a whole new box of ferrets. They were nice enough people but.. We had to learn sh1t that had nothing to do with our jobs or business. In addition to engineering, I was supposed to study (and advise) on nutrition and employee stress. 

When I took voluntary redundancy and handed in my badge at the gate on the last day I knew I could never set foot on the premises again. I felt fine about it.

[mihcmac]

I worked in visual media as an artist until I discovered I had a knack for computer graphics that my peers were resisting, but needed to adapt to. I setup a bullpen of graphic work stations and got everyone to talk and share information. Eventually I started sliding into the IT side of keeping our Mac’s happy and built a network for printing and eventually full network services. I did miss developing art and left the corporate world, but I found doing publishing support, privately, to have more freedom. When I ended up in Hawaii I found that the only way to get internet was by using long distance wireless radios. Anyway I retired in 16 and haven’t looked back. 

I did find in the corporate world that promotions and raises were mostly based on how well you got along with your co-workers, innovation and performance came second..

Edited August 4, 2023 by mihcmac

[Twang Gang]

Funny how we experienced different things during our working days.  I was in sales at just about every job I can recall, and getting along with co-workers and socializing with them was essential for success.  Of course getting along and socializing with customers was even more important.  Entertaining them, taking them to sporting events or the theatre what have you.  I made many friends at work and socialized with them many times even after I switched jobs and didn't work with them anymore.  Some jobs I got because I was friends with the owner or boss before I took the job.  So you don't have to dislike co-workers and if you can be friendly with them it can make the work more enjoyable.

[Mr. Gibson]

On 8/2/2023 at 1:59 PM, Sgt. Pepper said:

Been a long time coming. My wife is some weirdo I don’t even know anymore. 

I’ve got no wife to quarrel 

No babies to bawl

The best way of living 

Is no wife at all

Maybe whoever wrote that verse knows what the hell he is talking about?

Im thinking genius 

[Mr. Gibson]

Just now, Mr. Gibson said:

I’ve got no wife to quarrel 

No babies to bawl

The best way of living 

Is no wife at all

Maybe whoever wrote that verse knows what the hell he is talking about?

Im thinking genius 

Too late for me. Warning to all you hot blooded males on the hunt.

[fortyearspickn]

11 hours ago, Mr. Gibson said:

Too late for me. Warning to all you hot blooded males on the hunt.

Definitely the social trend -  significantly more GenXers do not want to get married of have kids.  

[Whitefang]

There's also too many who feel you don't have to get married to HAVE kids.  And sadly, for too many years now, children are more like ACCESSORIES  than children in far too many people's minds.

Whitefang

[Sgt. Pepper]

7 minutes ago, Whitefang said:

There's also too many who feel you don't have to get married to HAVE kids.  And sadly, for too many years now, children are more like ACCESSORIES  than children in far too many people's minds.

Whitefang

Yep my 2 kids were just like my belt, or my wife’s purse, and necklaces an accessory to feed and yell at.

[10PoundLester]

I've been self-employed for the past 20 years. I work with my wife. We do well together (married 34 years). When I WAS an "employee" I was out in the field all day as a working foreman  electrician in Las Vegas. I was happy. Then I got talked into accepting a position as an estimator for the company which put me into the office environment. It all went downhill from there. I lasted about a year. After that I went to work for an engineering firm in an office environment and lasted 6 years. It drove me crazy and I had to quit. It was the fake people that I couldn't stand being around. Corrupt, thieving, lying, cheating posers who thought nothing of burying you for their own benefit. I'm much happier now.  

[Whitefang]

21 hours ago, 10PoundLester said:

. Corrupt, thieving, lying, cheating posers who thought nothing of burying you for their own benefit. 

In an auto factory that usually only happens at the management level.  The rank and file think of their jobs as only a means to an end.

Whitefang