Such a great day. Started off with a nice enough staff meeting, then I was pulled into a meeting with Mothra who was laying piles of eggs all over the office about pages that hadn't yet been posted live.
It's just such a joy to come into a meeting where the first thing I have to say is, "You have to calm down - seriously - please, calm down," before I can begin to repeat the same information I've already supplied four times before.
Mothra didn't think I was making her content a top priority. Never mind the fact that I cannot control the technology used to publish this content. It's like complaining to my boss that I still haven't made the city streets out of chocolate.
It's amazing how hard it is to resist the urge to stand up and wrap your hands tightly around someone's throat.
Only if I want to be forcibly escorted out of the building can I give into those urges. That day may come, but I need to take some stuff home first.
Then there was the kickoff meeting to build a tool there's no data or research to support. If there is, no one's offering it up, yet everyone sat there saying, Oh yes, let's build this thing we can't even implement with our own technology (or technology skills), even though we don't even know if anyone would use it or if it would provide any real value whatsoever - yes - let's - let's run right down the path to more spending and development hell because why not - what else are we going to do to fill the time 'til summer vacation?
Don't get me wrong - I love technology. I love widgets. But I wouldn't dump hundreds of thousands of dollars into widget development unless I knew the investment might be worthwhile. What I can't understand is why isn't anyone asking for data and research to support such projects?
Is it because it's not their own money that our business partners don't seem to give a shit about how much is wasted by poor planning and a lack of research? If the research is there, just tell me and I'll shut up.
Wouldn't it be better to be strategic and not just do what everyone else is doing, but do something even better? I probably should just shut up anyway.
4 comments:
I'm so sorry...I still remember something you told me my first week of work you know where...just think of the most reasonable thing to do and then think of the opposite. Remember that? Always think opposite of common sense and it will all be okay. Also, wine definitely helps.
I totally don't remember that. See? Now it's happening to me. The stupidness. It's contagious, and if I stay there long enough, I won't even know how to put on my pants anymore.
This all seems so painfully familiar. We have built a management class in this society ... the "deciders"... who are not only uninterested in the details but uninterested in comprehending the big picture behind them.
And how do we get these knuckleheads? Good people like yourself with common sense take one look at them and (rightly) say "SHEESH, I don't want to be one of them, like them, or even have to go to the same homeroom as them!"
The worst part of this clueless mgmt "decider" caste is how they combine arrogance, ignorance and contempt for everything, including everyone around them and the nature of their own work and place in life.
It's actually pretty scary. How can one live, day after day, having contempt for everyone and everything around them?
Don't get me wrong, I'm no Little Mary Sunshine. But like most people I know and like, I take a little joy every day in SOMETHING and try to make other people smile. It's the old circus performer in me, I guess.
Damn, this qualifies as a blog post, not a comment. Sorry sweetie. How'd you like the lunchbox??
The lunchbox RULES. Look for a post soon just about that - I already took photos - I just need to get them off that teeny tiny card and into this typey machine.
That was the best box of fun I've ever seen. You rule.
As for the mothras of the world, I think they get used to finding whatever they can to fill the time, without thinking about what might be the *best* thing to do, or what might be best for the business. And that is so tiresome.
Ultimately, you have followers and you have people that may or may not be leaders, but they don't follow, and that confounds the followers. They don't understand (or appreciate) why you're questioning the status quo.
The thing that always gets me is, I know I'm no Einstein. I can drive, and I can figure out the tip at the restaurant, but I'm no super genius. But all these followers with their fancy degrees - they have no excuse - they *should* be able to be critical thinkers, but they're not, either by choice or by inability, and that's just unacceptable.
Hey look, another blog post here in this tiny box!
Post a Comment