So a few days ago I had words with my boss about my work load (see https://workplaceterrorism.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/yakity-yak-i-talked-back/)
Apparently he passed on that information to the owner. When I arrived at work today, the owner came to me and said that he would be “helping me out” all day. Needless to say, I was overcome by emotion. I felt like Maury Povich had just announced I wasn’t the father. I wanted to run, jump for joy, and wet my pants all at the same time. My nice quiet day would now be blessed with the owners presence. So much for any plans of terror for the day.
It didn’t take long for me to figure out why the owner had forgone things like running the business to spend quality time with me. He was testing me. Timing my day. He wanted to be sure that I was giving him an eight hour day by trying to out work me. I was fairly certain that he would fail.
The owner has been in the business for quite sometime. He prides himself on being able to pick out mistakes and tells his employees to live by the book (of instructional information). The first three jobs he did were incomplete. After I “instructed” him on the new and improved (read “my”) way to do things, he took a lunch break. When he came back from break he tried again, but this time he shadowed me. He watched what I did, then copied it. Over the next two jobs he cut his production time and completed the jobs correctly. I felt accomplished. He didn’t fight me over my improvements, nor did he reference his “book”. I felt things were going great.
When my GM made a special guest appearance I was proved an idiot. The owner immediately called the GM over and showed him the improvements that he had come up with during our time together. I was livid. I don’t expect any recognition for improvements that I make, but I don’t exactly take a shine to someone taking credit for them in my place…even if it is the owner. I said nothing and began plotting.
When I arrive tomorrow, I’ll ask the owner to give me a hand with a few jobs and show him things that are completely wrong, but close enough to be believable. I”ll let him complete some jobs and then turn it all over to the GM for his approval. The GM will have two choices; either lie and say the jobs are correct, or tell his boss, the owner, that he is incompetent. I’m betting on the lie. When he approves these jobs, I will emulate the owner and not complete the jobs correctly. When my GM calls me on it, I’ll call in the owner and ask him to show me how it’s done. It will still be wrong and my GM will be forced to tell him he’s wrong. Yahtzee, or checkmate, or some other games catch phrase.
Bottom line is this: my day could’ve gone down the crapper, but I didn’t let it. I took what was suppose to be a kick to my crotch and Chuck Norrised the poop out of it. Now you do the same. Take the poo your boss has handed to you, shine it up real nice, and give it to him as a “Boss of the Year” award. It’s still shit, but he’ll put it on his desk because he’s a window licking moron.
Fight the Power & KCCO
workplaceterrorism 