This weekend...enemies were made

Everything else!

Moderators: Bakhtosh, EvilHomer3k

Post Reply

Am I positive or lazy?

Positive
17
77%
Lazy
5
23%
 
Total votes: 22

User avatar
msteelers
Posts: 7173
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:30 pm
Location: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Contact:

This weekend...enemies were made

Post by msteelers »

I'm at work Friday night, working the ticket counter at a concert for the radio station I work with, and I'm talking with the other people working there, and somehow we come up on my regular job (part-time promotions). I make a comment, somewhere along the lines of:

"I love my job. I get paid to stand around and do nothing." Now, let me throw a disclaimer up now and say that I said this with tons of sarcasm. Unfortunately, no one took it like that and immediately ganged up on me.

"If you don't do anything you're not doing your job," and "you've got a lazy attitude," were very popular that night.

I responded by trying to clarify my position, that for what I'm supposed to do, I'm getting overpaid.

Here's what I do at any given event:

Get there early and set up tent, pa system, a giant inflattable, and a table filled with prizes.

Set up various games.

Hand out prizes.

Talk with listeners, usually consists of talking about music.

Pack everything up and go back to the station.

Generally, this takes about 3.5-4 hours, and we get $50. Over $10/hour isn't bad for the little work I actually do. But, for what I feel is a positive attitude, I'm met with accusations of having a lazy attitude and was even told I should be fired.

Now, that's when I started to get mad, and was able to end the conversation by actually...you know...working like I was supposed to. But not before being told I had the hardest job in the building...THE HARDEST JOB IN THE BUILDING!!! I WORK 4 HOURS OUTSIDE WITH FRIENDLY PEOPLE AND I HAVE THE HARDEST JOB?

I could have worded my response better so as to not hurt anyones feelings, but at this time I didn't care and responded with "well then I'm going to love working here, because this is the easiest job I have EVER had."

So, was I right or wrong? I maintain that I have a positive attitude. But I'll throw myself upon the wisdom of everyone here and see if I was right or wrong.

I hold the right to ignore any unfavorable results.
User avatar
CSL
Posts: 6209
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm
Location: Brandon, Manitoba

Post by CSL »

Sounds like your doing your job that way its supposed to be done and having fun while doing it. You just worded everything wrong.
User avatar
DiscoJason
Posts: 2082
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 3:49 pm
Location: Minnesota

Post by DiscoJason »

Some people are just over-sensitive. I say fuck 'em.
User avatar
JSHAW
Posts: 4514
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 2:03 pm

Post by JSHAW »

Some people (not you) in their jobs complain that they have TOO MUCH work to do, other's that they don't have enough to do, and some complain that for the job they do they don't make enough money.

Then you have the people who come in, do their jobs, never complain about what they do, and they go home when it's time to leave.

If you make it known that you don't have enough to keep you busy I hope you aren't suprised when your boss or supervisor heaps more work and responsibilities on your plate. If you make it known that you feel your job is "the easiest job you've ever had" then don't be suprised if someone decides to make your job a living hell and your job becomes more complicated or difficult due to your opening your mouth and stating your opinions on the state of the union as it relates to your job.

If you like your job and are happy with the way you do things then don't mess it up by running off at the mouth in front of your peers about how "easy" you have it. You could find that things change if this sentiment is stated to your higher ups and they decide to start doing MORE with LESS. Meaning they give your job to someone else and downsize you, or like I said before, give you MORE to do, and LESS time to do it in.

Don't let your ego write checks your work ethic can't cash.

I'm not saying you said anything particularly wrong or out of place, but you may have said things that others didn't take the right way, and those are the kind of things that misunderstandings with bosses/supervisors are made of. Trust me, I know.
User avatar
JSHAW
Posts: 4514
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 2:03 pm

Post by JSHAW »

One more comment; If you get your work done in the alloted time, have fun doing your job, and you bring a positive attitude to the people you come in contact with during the events you cover I don't think you're lazy at all.

If you're getting the tasks done the way they are supposed to, and receive positive feedback from your boss/manager on how you do your job then I wouldn't worry about what your peers may view as you being "lazy".

You didn't make the rules, you're just playing the game with the rules set up by others, right?

One bit of advice; Since you know the people who made the comments that made you mad, you now know who not to talk to about how easy your job is. Since those people might be too thin skinned to be able to handle how you do your job and with the ease and manner in which you do it in, don't get too comfortable about discussing just anything with them. If you can't trust them to not be judgemental about you then I'd say don't get too close to them. You could find that they turn around and stab you in the back whenever they get a chance and when you least expect it.

I've found that in today's work climate you really have to be careful about what you say and who you say it to. You never can tell when the words you've said come back to haunt you, from a person you least expected it to come from.
User avatar
the Nightbreeze
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 2:58 pm
Location: Pittsburgh

Post by the Nightbreeze »

Sounds like they took you all wrong to me, and being jerks about it sure didn't help you clarify yourself. I say next time, crap on the seat when you're in their restroom.
All of the problems one encounters in one's lifetime have a common trait: That one is somehow is involved in all of them, and perhaps that is the problem in whole. -- Andrew Welsbacher
User avatar
LawBeefaroni
Forum Moderator
Posts: 55362
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 3:08 pm
Location: Urbs in Horto, outrageous taxes on everything

Post by LawBeefaroni »

Maybe they were just giving you shit? Taking the piss as it were?
" Hey OP, listen to my advice alright." -Tha General
"No scientific discovery is named after its original discoverer." -Stigler's Law of Eponymy, discovered by Robert K. Merton

MYT
User avatar
msteelers
Posts: 7173
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:30 pm
Location: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Contact:

Post by msteelers »

If you make it known that you don't have enough to keep you busy I hope you aren't suprised when your boss or supervisor heaps more work and responsibilities on your plate. If you make it known that you feel your job is "the easiest job you've ever had" then don't be suprised if someone decides to make your job a living hell and your job becomes more complicated or difficult due to your opening your mouth and stating your opinions on the state of the union as it relates to your job.
My feelings towards more work is bring it on. So far I've volunteered for everything I could. I've done my work, covered for others, and all the while asking for more work.

I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that some people would jump right into the revenge mode based off of a comment like "easiest job I've ever had."
Post Reply