Should I stay, or should I go now?
Should I fold, or should I call, or, better still . . . take a chance and bet?
Or, one of my all time favorite movie lines "Do you feel lucky punk!"
Yes, my com-padres there is a point, a most serious point to this post! I must get there my way!
I have been placed in, a position where my thoughts and experience, may, OR may not, help!
I must lay out my dilemma for you. I could make it as complex as the current undertaking of mine. (This project you have been reading for a couple months, Crime And Punishment, I may be viewed at the undertakers! Wee joke, ha!)
Seriously folks, and you out there may think it's hard for me to be serious, by most of my ramblings. I do have a serious side, and have always been serious about where, I'm employed! I'm old school, in many ways, proud to be. There must be truth, to fix any problem! There must be cooperation! There must be people working for a common goal, that is good for all, not a select few!
I currently work four hours on day shift and four hours on night shift. Previously I worked eight years on the late night shift. Before that several years on day shift. I have seen the good, the bad, the ugliness of all shifts, and people, too!!!
We have plenty of business and growing in these lean times. To further explain would veer me off my current course.
This company has been in business, well let me just say it's one of the oldest family owned and run businesses in my state, unheard of right? Well a few years ago this business started growing by leaps and bounds, others in our business were going under from, many, many, factors I'll leave it there.
Life-time workers, become managers. As the business blossomed, these managers are lacking in, in, in, leadership! The aches and pains of growing most certainly are felt. We have some new leaders being stirred into the pot and, old leaders stuck in their ways. Currently, we're in our slow season and the pot of stew is either going to be edible, or burn.
I have worked my whole life in factory environments, which is what this scaled down version is. I'm getting to my point and a personal question. Yes, I'm personally asking for you readers that have enjoyed some of my, whatever ya wish to call it, for advice.
I was pretty much stuck in my graveyard rut, just filling time, till the mortician "pulls my pliers and screw-driver from my cold dead hands." (A wee joke!)
I have found a renewed sense of worth, from being acknowledged and given a chance "to want" to help at my age! Assigned important tasks and asked my opinion. (An old person imagine that!)
No one asked for my two-cents worth before, although I gave it freely, have had numerous write-ups, and a really nice suspension! I have been forced to somewhat curtail my opinions. If someone is a heart, I call them a heart! If someone is a spade, I wish to help them dig, their grave!
The major problems faced at work is pettiness, lack of communication, having people doing jobs their unsatisfactory for, and that just be in leadership!
OKAY MY CONUNDRUM IS? DO I KEEP QUIET, OR SPEAK MY PIECE TO WHOMEVER ASKS? I HAVE BEEN ASKED QUESTIONS BY PEOPLE WHO CAN . . . IF THEY CHOOSE TO, MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF . . . THEY HAVE THE BACKBONE!
SHOULD I JUST SLIDE INTO OBLIVION? CAN ANYONE? AT ANY LEVEL, TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Glen
Oh boy!! I don't envy you in this predicament you are in. And I am hardly qualified to give advice on the workplace dilemmas. In my younger days I worked in several factories up there. I was always low on the totem pole because at that time, you got hired, worked a few months, got laid off, went on to the next place that was hiring. I just did my job, kept my mouth shut, went home. I worked the graveyard shift one of those times. It was at Chrysler Plastic Products. I loved that shift!! Anyway,you say that you have been "asked those questions" . Well, if they are asking you, I am assuming they are wanting your imput on things, right? I think you are well within your right to give an honest answer to whatever the question is. Your time and experience in the place is worth something don't you think? I think the key is in the approach. I would give the answers but in a respectable sort of way , if you know what I mean hahaha. Kind of hard when you know you work with a lot of knuckleheads right?
ReplyDeleteGood luck with this Professor. Just remember that you are just as valuable as anyone else in that place, and probably more so than a lot of them !!
Maybe your friend here, the one who put you up to this blog can give you some advice :-)
I'm going to agree with PMS on this one. I don't know the situation at your job, but it seems that if your input can help the new management change things for the better...well, the better for everyone involved, right? She is also correct in her advice to show tact. That is difficult, I know, when dealing with/about someone that doesn't see things as you do.
ReplyDeleteBut you can get yourself in deep do-do, not cause any positive change and put yourself through hell by being abusive when asked for your opinion. Jobs are just jobs. And people are stinkers. Keep a huge portion of perspective at all times in this.
Just sayin...
Thanks very much C. and Timster. I've been doing some heavy thinking and believe I'll have a better grasp of things after the next meeting. My words either in fun, or truly meant as advice, or out of anger/frustration have always fell on deaf ears. Funny though, I'm 40% deaf but see and hear all. I suppose that's called experience huh?
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