tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post1211795429046078688..comments2023-08-08T11:48:10.725+01:00Comments on swisslet: that's the word out on the town....swisslethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16708248700851998044noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-56789805368905820572007-10-24T00:19:00.000+01:002007-10-24T00:19:00.000+01:00At certain large corporations I could mention, the...At certain large corporations I could mention, they have separated the review process from the payrise formula.... Apparently questioning this with the concept that I could "perform" as well or as badly as I liked and it would have no effect was "not conducive" to, err, something or other. I wasn't paying attention any more.ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13462118851964861754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-62814806033788676532007-10-23T20:43:00.000+01:002007-10-23T20:43:00.000+01:00Reading this reminded me of why I've been so m...Reading this reminded me of why I've been so much happier not at my old job.<br><br>I used to love it when I'd get a review back, about how all of my departments were putting up great numbers, how I "challenge upward," and "am not afraid to voice an unpopular opinion" but then get knocked for not enthusiastically taking on new processes and procedures (even though the "new" ones were dropped company wide within six months... when I worked for the second largest retail chain in the us as low end as imaginable.)<br><br>/rant<br><br>I hate large corporations.<br><br>but I'll leave you with a song lyric.<br><br>"Compromise.<br>Conformity.<br>Assimilation.<br>Submission.<br>Ignorance.<br>Hypocrisy.<br>Brutality.<br>The elite.<br>All of which..."<br><br>Yeah, listen to that old rage song before your next meeting...Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03531414847817210475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-90379913442601791432007-10-23T20:41:00.000+01:002007-10-23T20:41:00.000+01:00thanks for all the comments guys. I feel as though...thanks for all the comments guys. I feel as though I've been misleading you all a bit though. Although I stand by what I've written here, I'm not a rebel without a cause. I've actually been trying hard to focus this negativity into a more positive form and I've been trying to take control of those parts of the process that it might be within my gift to change. I'm not out to make anyone look a fool, and I don't sit in the corner making snide remarks (well, not too much...).<br><br>It's just not as interesting for me to vent reasonably here. It's more fun to just let rip.<br><br>LB's right about integrity too, and pretty much whatever I think of some of the nonsense at work, I hope that I fundamentally remain an honest and decent person and I'm sure that everyone else there is essentially the same too.<br><br>Shall we have a group hug now?<br><br>STswisslethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16708248700851998044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-30208198162603851322007-10-23T19:15:00.000+01:002007-10-23T19:15:00.000+01:00"some of your ideals""<b>some</b> of your ideals"ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13462118851964861754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-34020249162834095652007-10-23T18:55:00.000+01:002007-10-23T18:55:00.000+01:00Perhaps the commentators (as I am sure ST doesn...Perhaps the commentators (as I am sure ST doesn't need to!) should look at C, for example. I haven't met anyone with more integrity or prepared to argue a point (in a good way!) and she is doing exceptionally well career-wise....LBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06234702470107953581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-13056839372021060812007-10-23T18:52:00.000+01:002007-10-23T18:52:00.000+01:00I am mildly resentful of the notion that to be suc...I am mildly resentful of the notion that to be successful in business you can't have integrity and can't retain some of your ideals. I have more integrity than I did when I started my job and as much fight (although the methods I demonstrate these by have clearly changed.)<br><br>Perhaps it's because it's a smaller business and so the decisions are made by someone nearer in the hierarchy to me, I don't know.<br><br>I'm just saying, you don't have to sell out to get on, that's all.LBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06234702470107953581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-13389259647369867062007-10-23T15:50:00.000+01:002007-10-23T15:50:00.000+01:00That is insane.I love that they have now built int...That is insane.<br><br>I love that they have now built into the review system a way to ensure that things continue to be completely inefficient. Wow.j.http://unjuicier.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-22380479873049141022007-10-23T13:30:00.000+01:002007-10-23T13:30:00.000+01:00Oh dear god. I think I had those meetings. The l...Oh dear god. I think I had those meetings. The last one I had before I finally chose not to comprimise my integrity and leave the building tood-sweet went along the lines of "Technically you're faultless, you deliver on time or early, you are helpful and supportive to the end users and have shown great iniative in setting up global policies. However, you made a girl on the team cry so we're marking you down as "needs improvement" and recommending anger management courses."<br><br>Apparently "she's a fucking idiot" is not a valid reason for having a go at a team member and it was nothing to do with the fact that she was seen snogging the (married) manager in the back of a taxi cab at all, oh no.<br><br>I'm so glad I work for myself now.<br><br>On a side note, CD sent and one received from the lovely Lisa. Ta.DraconianOnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01568395940552236401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-36735242205231845332007-10-23T13:14:00.000+01:002007-10-23T13:14:00.000+01:00Pynchon: my heart belongs to your way of thinkingS...Pynchon: my heart belongs to your way of thinking<br><br>ST: I feel for your plight but you write with such eloquence on this matter that I could not help but enjoy this post.<br><br>I have similar problems of being politic - I wish I could be better at such matters. Your boss is (kinda) right to want you to maybe achieve a better balance of pleasing people in and outside the office, but I know from experience that can be very difficult to do when you are surrounded by the sort of people who enable you to create wonderful imagery like the Sisyphus piece.Lisa Rullsenberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02020425273742237299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-73875028294910611822007-10-23T02:06:00.000+01:002007-10-23T02:06:00.000+01:00"I tell you, if Sisyphus worked in our depart..."I tell you, if Sisyphus worked in our department, not only would his boulder be made bigger every time he tried to push it up the hill, but it would also be gradually "improved" into a less rollable shape, and the hill would be gradually made steeper and bumpier. Eventually he would be trying to push a giant cube up a greased right angle."<br><br>That, sir, is a great image.<br><br>Having at long last entered the world of work, I'm now exposed to business-speak mumbo-jumbo on a regular basis. You can pretty much guarantee that any process or procedure described as designed to simplify or explain something will only muddy the waters...Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03008553685046831301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-48441355219925026472007-10-22T22:31:00.000+01:002007-10-22T22:31:00.000+01:00Fill up your diary with fictitious, yet plausible ...Fill up your diary with fictitious, yet plausible meetings and appointments. That way, you can avoid upsetting people in meetings by having a prior engagement.<br><br>But what would I know about climbing a greasy pole. Altenatively, there are other jobs. Or you could retire and live off your wife.ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13462118851964861754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-28592169455333570882007-10-22T22:13:00.000+01:002007-10-22T22:13:00.000+01:00maybe I should just shut up, eh?maybe I should just shut up, eh?swisslethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16708248700851998044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-46461081788280668712007-10-22T22:09:00.000+01:002007-10-22T22:09:00.000+01:00Bob - there's a thing called the "wider l...Bob - there's a thing called the "wider leadership team" and they do all of the "peer reviews" - i.e. they decide who is a behavioural role model and who is not. I'm not on it, so sadly I don't get to do any peer reviews.<br><br>The funny thing is, in the course of my conversation with my boss, I mentioned that there are no consequences for not following the process, so actually I could make life a lot easier for myself by just ignoring it all and keeping my mouth shut. <br><br>Is there any danger of that? Nah.<br><br>I'm not the perfect employee by any means, but I'll never be able to keep my trap shut in the face of such cobblers, especially if it can't be explained to me by the people who dreamed it all up. I just want to know why. <br><br>And seriously, if any of you are reading this and are tut-tutting at me, please come and explain it to me. I'm all ears.<br><br>STswisslethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16708248700851998044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-83970140002696490952007-10-22T21:58:00.000+01:002007-10-22T21:58:00.000+01:00Not only do I not think you're going to do wel...Not only do I not think you're going to do well in six months, I actively hope you don't do well.<br><br>It's your integrity and fight that make you wonderful.<br><br>Don't let the turkeys take you down.Erikanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-70959816306472663262007-10-22T21:55:00.000+01:002007-10-22T21:55:00.000+01:00Performance reviews?Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!A manager once ...Performance reviews?<br><br>Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!<br><br>A manager once tried to performance review me. I cut out his liver and ate it with some fava beans and a nice chianti.<br><br>Apparently I am really great on the phone, exude confidence, calm and intelligence to the customers and am a complete sod (or is that a t*sser?) to everybody in the office.<br><br>Such is life.Pynchonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09527602854222800619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-10041785243491229722007-10-22T21:20:00.001+01:002007-10-22T21:20:00.001+01:00Shit. Reading that was like having an acid flashba...Shit. Reading that was like having an acid flashback to my last job.<br><br>I love the way our cultural artefacts celebrate rebels and outsiders, but then our culture attempts to squash even the mildest signs of an individual point of view.<br><br>Do you get to exact revenge by rating the behaviours of other people?Max Bobhttp://maximumbob.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-43291508465859208612007-10-22T21:20:00.002+01:002007-10-22T21:20:00.002+01:00what a load of bollocks. I feel for you Swiss.what a load of bollocks. I feel for you Swiss.Planet Mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05874971733723914974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-32763137597092177232007-10-22T20:43:00.000+01:002007-10-22T20:43:00.000+01:00The performance review system has changed slightly...The performance review system has changed slightly in my place, and my manager left a completed form (his) with me so I could get to grips with the new method before having my meeting. One of the key criteria related to equal opportunities and human rights. My boss had written "Too touchy feely for me - I don't go in for all that crap" which made me laugh. While I hate my job a lot, I love my boss.Cathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11858850210791504996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1750120863647373520.post-24200094030688785912007-10-22T20:01:00.000+01:002007-10-22T20:01:00.000+01:00How badly do you want to join the Borg?How badly do you want to join the Borg?astanoreply@blogger.com