Friday, July 11

What I Hate About My Job Most

I am extremely frustrated right now and it all comes down to my dads approach to me at work. My dad has always believed in the sink or swim aproach to life. Even when I was a kid, I learned to never ask my dad for help in school work because he would never help me and it always resulted in us getting into an argument. From his perspective I should I am smart enough to figure things out on my own and therefore asking for help is an easy way out and I am using him as a crutch. I did well in school without his help but there were times when I just wanted him to sit down with him and help me figure out a problem, going to him for help was never really an option. I really feel that we would be closer if he had.

This philosophy has carried over at work. It is never, here let me show you how to do this. Usually he plops something out on my desk, I will ask what it is and he gives me some vague direction to do something I have never done before and when I ask for more information he usually smirks and says "you can figure it out".

Case in point, I am in charge of close out documents for all of the projects. This includes collecting warranties and other various documents to give to the owner at the end of the job. This is a very simplified explanation because I don't know what kind of work is involved in built up membrane roofing and the specifics of the electrical work and I am also not familiar with the language. I don't know anything about construction so often times I feel like I am working blind. So my dad comes in and plops a huge plastic bag on my desk that is filled with brochures and manuals and warranties and spare material.

The warranties are all general and have no specifics as to what work or materials it is for and there is no organization whatsover. I have no idea what to even do with it all and when I ask my dad for help he says "make copies". I ask what I am supposed to make copies of if I dont know what it all is in the first place and exactly how I am supposed to make copies of this stuff. His response "make copies with a copier" and walks away. I tell him as he walks away that that doesnt help me but he doesnt respond. So I ask Susan, who did all the close outs before me and is much more knowledgeable and she says she has no idea what all of it is either and is just a baffled and my dad comes over, basically throw a couple of clear plastic binder pages at me as if this was the solution and walks away.

It is beyond frustrating that I dont get any guidance or help. I don't know what to do or where to even begin but he just leaves me to figure it out on my own. I am new to this industry, I am inexperienced and I am unfamilar with a lot in construction and when this shit happens it completely deflates my self esteem and leaves me unmotivated. I have talked to him before about this and he tells me he will start training me and have everyone else train me more but it never happens. Everyone is either too busy or just doesnt take the time. He is also somehow under the impression that I am a computer whiz and expected me to make a website for him, like it was easy and I could do it. Right now I just want to walk out and leave and tell him to go fuck himself. Obviously I am not going to do this so instead I vent in my blog.
We are drinking tonight right?

15 comments:

edluv said...

here are your options in a nonrealistic world:
1. quit
2. work as a shop girl for adam & my woodshop/art studio
3. work as a taste tester for carly pennsylvania
4. professional blogger

maybe you can be like me and string all of those together for a part time lifestyle.

Anonymous said...

just delegate it. your the boss's daughter, right? then come join us for drinks this afternoon

Anonymous said...

or you can go all sally fields on him and hold up a big union sign in the middle of the office... that scene always makes me cry

Lulu said...

Unfortunately I have no one to delegate it to, I am clearly at the bottom of the totem pole here.

I like the strike idea (that is a great scene) and the quitting and becoming a shop girl though. I could combine the two and stand on my desk holding a sign that says "I quit and I am becoming a shop girl" without saying anything. And then go have drinks:) Seriously though I am definitely getting my drink on tonight. Nothing like getting drunk to solve all your problems!

Adam said...

He must be concerned with his bottom line yeah? Can you appeal to his desire to make money and run a good business efficiently?

If I was running a business with employees, I certainly wouldn't want them wandering around in the dark. That just slows things down.

Lulu said...

I think it is more personal than that. Everyone else in the company has been here for years and has a strong background in construction so I dont think he knows how to train someone who is as inexperienced as I am because he doesnt remember wehat it is like to be in that position.

Along with that being his daughter he has high expectations of me, he knows I am intelligent so he just assumes I must be smart in everything and if not I can figure it out because thats how he did it and if I dont I am not trying. I think this is what messes with my self esteem, I think if I cant figure it out then I am stupid.

To appeal to the bottom line probably wouldnt equate with him. He would turn it back on me trying harder, plus I am not really affecting the speed of business that much. I am not so slammed that I am not getting things done. They get done, it just is really difficult for me in the process.

Anonymous said...

i have to correct myself: *you're* the bosses daughter, not *your*. that's just embarrassing.

and lulu, if you quit your job, my new place has a cozy little basement you can call home. (;

Lulu said...

hey new place? Did you buy some real estate? Ok dont tell me now, I will ask you tonight because I will have follow up questions and what not.

So I should quit my job and move into your basement huh? That sounds awfully seedy.

Monticore said...

Maybe you are just going to do exactly what you dad says and show some incompitence.

It's pretty passive aggressive but if he gives you a stack brouches with the instructions of "copies". Make a copy of every one. Then send him an email or whatever saying the task is completed.

He is obviously frustrating you with his vague directions. I think you should frustrate him back by only doing what he tells you to do and not "figuring out what he wants you to do."

Maybe he needs to learn the hard way that he needs to communicate better. And maybe you need to learn that this is not your fault even if your dad is dissappointed with your preformance.

Be Strong and teach him though tough love how to communicate to you before you do indeed quit.

carly said...

Ohhhh, yeah. What Monticore said.

And I'm sorry, girl. :( That's got to be beyond infuriating.

timidvenus said...

1. i wanted to correct mellows 'your', but he corrected himself. damn.

2. i agree with monti

3. or you could just go into business with me. im thinking we could open a store and sell stuff. let me know.

4. who is this sally fields with a sign that people are referring to?

Monticore said...

Timid! I you have to go rent Norma Ray! Run don't walk to the video store. Wait they probably don't have it anymore. I know "At the Movies" has it. It's a wonderful movie and Sally Fields won an Oscar. (Side Note: Sally Fields is Julia Roberts mom in Steel Magnolia and she is on those osteoporosis commercials.)

Adam said...

Also the bi-polar mom on ER.

Lulu said...

Monti,that actually might work and I am good at being literal, this may be a viable option.

Yes timid lets sell stuff! People love buying stuff, there is definitely a market. We could always manage Carlys cake business too. That way she can just focus on the making of the delicious cakes and we can get samples.

Lulu said...

Monti,that actually might work and I am good at being literal, this may be a viable option.

Yes timid lets sell stuff! People love buying stuff, there is definitely a market. We could always manage Carlys cake business too. That way she can just focus on the making of the delicious cakes and we can get samples.