Thursday, April 15, 2004
Human resources. How we hate human resources. I personally look forward to the day that we begin to employ genetically engineered human beings to do our work. Of course there will be the risk of a "Terminator" style rebellion. But such is the price of progress. I, myself, would rather combat super strength cyborgs than deal with the variety of headcases that seem unable to perform on a consistent basis the very simply tasks of a) showing up to work on time and b) being a messenger. I think back to the days when I was a full time messenger (and I didn't get to work a 4 day week until well after I'd started my own company) and I only missed work unscheduled one time and it was because I had a serious case of the flu. Is my work ethic out of the ordinary? Did I feel a weird and out of the ordinary sense of commitment not just to my employers but to the people that I worked with? I never thought so. As with all jobs I've had throughout my life (with the exception of working for Peoples Drugstore in highschool, those people were bastards) I've tried to be as good as I could possibly be in all regards. I think I succeeded in most cases (screw Peoples Drugs) and it is a point of pride. I like to be good at whatever I do. I know I may no be the best, but I'll be as good as I can be. I suppose it's too much to expect that others would always do the same. The irony is that work ethic has extended to owning a business and trying to create a positive work environment which is then taken for granted. As I've said many times before, whatever.
I'd like to go into detail about what's going on personnel wise but this one person is having problems of such an intensely personal nature that I don't feel comfortable putting it out there. I can't even think of good veiled riddles to point you in the right direction. Ok, it has to with plumbing. Say you were a plumber and you went to a jobsite with what you believed were the right tools. You had standard tools (good ones), plenty of PVC piping and a good truck. After working at the jobsite for a few years (it's a big project) you realize that you hate your tools, that they're all the wrong size, type, they're American standard and you decide you want metric, in fact you don't want PVC piping anymore you want to rip out all the work you've done and put in all copper. You hate your truck. It's a Ford and you have to have a Chevy. All these things are so troubling to you that it becomes near impossible to go to work with the tools, pipes and truck that you have. Something has to be done. But you worry about how the other plumbers will treat you. It's a big change and you don't know if you've got it in you to make it. That's kind of what's going on here.
I'd like to go into detail about what's going on personnel wise but this one person is having problems of such an intensely personal nature that I don't feel comfortable putting it out there. I can't even think of good veiled riddles to point you in the right direction. Ok, it has to with plumbing. Say you were a plumber and you went to a jobsite with what you believed were the right tools. You had standard tools (good ones), plenty of PVC piping and a good truck. After working at the jobsite for a few years (it's a big project) you realize that you hate your tools, that they're all the wrong size, type, they're American standard and you decide you want metric, in fact you don't want PVC piping anymore you want to rip out all the work you've done and put in all copper. You hate your truck. It's a Ford and you have to have a Chevy. All these things are so troubling to you that it becomes near impossible to go to work with the tools, pipes and truck that you have. Something has to be done. But you worry about how the other plumbers will treat you. It's a big change and you don't know if you've got it in you to make it. That's kind of what's going on here.
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