Today I had a meeting with my people manager (PM) - the guy I was recently assigned to because the original person quit. I don't like my new PM, professionally nor personally. Two months ago, when we set up this meeting, I had no idea what we would talk about. However, I had plenty to say today. Of course, he spent a good deal of time talking about things completely unrelated to my job. He spent 15 minutes talking about Medicare reforms. I work on Pensions. I know it was 15 minutes because I watched the clock outside his window for the entire time.
One highlight of the meeting was when I said my annual goals were "silly" and "I'm not going to do these."
Another good part of today's meeting was the look on PM's face during the following exchange:
PM: Well, at least we've recognized the problems.
Me: But you recognized these problems a year ago. It's frustrating to know that Brian and Mike [the guys who quit this summer] had these same complaints a year ago, and now I have them.
PM: uuuuhh. Yeah, we don't want you to quit.
This was actually enough to get PM to sit up straight. He spent most of the meeting leaning back in his chair with his feet on his desk. He also yawned at least 7 times. Like a lion. In the middle of his sentences. I don't even think he knows he does it. It's rude, but it bothers me more just because it's awkward. Do I avert my eyes from his feet on the desk? Do I not look at his tonsils while he's yawning? These situations did not come up in corporate orientation training.
In other office news, a stressed out Jason (5 years my senior but the next person in seniority to me) snapped back at a consultant and pulled me into his complaint too. He makes a valiant complaint, with which no one can argue: we have too much work, all of it is labeled as "urgent," there has been no signs of new hires, and they expect us to have time to study.
Also, I heard that at a planning meeting, the bigwigs were discussing future projects and they kept saying, "Well, Donny's on that team." or "Donny's supposed to do that." until finally someone made a remark that I can't possibly do everything that was mentioned.
So, what I'm trying to get at is that today at work, everyone was super-nice to me. I think either they're afraid that I'm going to quit without warning or they know that they'll be asking me to do work for them in the near future.
Along this line, Jason greeted me this morning with, "Oh, you're hear today?"
"Yeah, did I say I was going to be somewhere else?"
"No, there are just some days that I wonder if you're going to come back here the next day."
3 comments:
I got the same treatment mid-summer. Fourteen people had left the floor in six months and they were desperate to curb the exodus. I got pulled into a conference room, told my hard work was noticed and appreciated, and then they gave me a raise. For a week and a half they were nice and, mysteriously, my workload let up, as my managers started doing the boring things they were supposed to do again, that they had passed off to me. But, after the week and a half they shuffled their busy work to me again, and things went back to the way they were.
Also, as far as yawning goes, I say be prepared. Next time you meet with him bring a bag of skittles to throw.
-t
i second the skittle recommendation.
or, on the professional side, what you might consider is politely saying something like, "Would you like to reschedule this meeting to a time thats better for you? You seem a bit tired. I can come back later if you'd like." he'll probably look at you funny and wonder what you're talking about, but perhaps he isnt as dense as he is rude and will register that his yawns are noticably distracting. dude sounds like a doofus. is his daddy the boss-man or something?
i hate to see my briliant friends under-utilized. the brain is a terrible thing to waste, and it seems that after formal education, pieces of the brain slowly shrivel and dissolve into flabby skull mush.
OMG, im blogging at work. someone hit me.
hey! it's ok! I blog at work too!!
;)
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