Over the years (2008 to the present) I have written numerous posts, such as this post from February 26, 2013, about respect or the complete lack thereof. Today's post will be, strangely enough, a new twist on that particular post. A C.M. Classic you might opine.
Normally, I would start off a post such as this with the well-worn cliché that Respect Is A Two Way Street, then go off on some meaningful and nourishing tangent about how you need to give in order to get.
Captain Bucko says, "Not this time."
This time, the tangent is about the utter lack of respect that I have been subjected to, ad nauseum, since 2006. I've had my integrity questioned, my "lack" of job skills, lies told about me, been thrown under the proverbial bus, car, boat, tractor, horse, motorcycle more times that I can remember, and up until now, have either shaken it off or taken it with a boulder of salt.
Now, it's 2015 and after the fiasco I went through yet again with people mouthing all of the above to people who actually know me/worked with me, I've decide to, in the words of Alice Cooper, not be Mr. Nice Guy anymore.
That's right everyone. No longer will I bend over backwards to help someone out because they give me some kind of sob story. No longer will I carry on multi day e-mail conversations with people who make twice my salary yet have the brain cell capacity of a militant animal rights activist. Most importantly though, no longer will I treat all co-workers like a friend/family member.
Number 1 will be easy to do 'cause I've already been phasing it in with the other aspects of my job, so applying it to the remaining part will be a no brainer. Number 2 will be easy to do as well, simply because I'm simply not going to waste any more effort in trying to get my point across. If you can't understand what I'm giving you for an answer to your question after three e-mails, then I'll simply have you get your union steward involved. Case closed.
As for number 3, that will be a little tougher. I've been doing the same payroll going on 9 years this coming May, and some of those co-workers I get along with quite well. But, 2015 is a new year, and since I don't intend to be a doormat anymore, I'll simply have to quit cold turkey. I'll still be polite but beyond that, what's going in your life will simply be none of my business, and vice-versa.
When you work in the public sector, 75% of the time what people demand they don't often reciprocate. However, if you want respect, look for it from someone else. I'm tired of giving it and not having it reciprocated. The only respect I want and I'll gladly give in return, are to the 9 people who work in my unit and to the 6 others I deal with on a daily basis.
Period.
(c) 2014 by G.B. Miller. All Rights Reserved.
Good luck with that.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'll need it.
DeleteThat's really crappy of people to treat you that way.
ReplyDeleteYes it is. Sadly, the culture of entitlement is alive and well in most state agencies. My co-worker was called a "timesheet Nazi" by people riding in the same elevator as he was, only they didn't know it was him that they were talking about.
DeleteSorry to hear you've been driven to this. So many people don't reciprocate the kindness we show them.
ReplyDeleteIt really is mind numbing the lack of reciprocation for any amount of kindness. And people seriously wonder why I'm so anti-social at work.
DeleteWell, at least you have 9 people in your unit and 6 others that you can tolerate. It's better than nothing. As I've said before, good on you for taking no more smack.
ReplyDeleteAlso, just wanted to let you know the book arrived and we both look forward to giving it a read after we're done with the current books we're reading! Thanks again!
Absolutely, 15 is better than nothing. The problem in taking no more smack is that there'll be unintended collateral damage, so to speak.
DeleteAnd I'm glad to here the book got there safe and sound. Gotta give props to USPS for getting it there before 1/5.
I feel for you, G. (And bonus points for the Alice Cooper reference, although that will be sticking in my head now. And then I'll probably have another dream about him naked.)
ReplyDeleteBut anyhow...in my experience working with state departments over the past several years, I've found that individuals working in the departments are generally helpful, and the directors are clueless, hapless, and generally got there because of politics.
On a side note, one of the people our agency has gone to bat against time and time again just got appointed the head of the new department of marijuana, which will be legal July 1. Kid you not.
Most of my experience has been like that over the years, but its only been very recently that the vitriol/entitlement has gotten more brutal and insidious.
DeleteDept of Mary Jane? Only on the left coast would a state be that vapid to have something like that.
I worked in state government for 19 years (I may have mentioned that?) and I can TOTALLY relate to that. My problem was that I cared too much. I'd get all undone over things and everyone else would be sitting around, slowly sipping their coffee, and saying, "What's with her?" I was just way too type A. The good news is, as a freelance writer, that has served me well. My co-workers would have done horribly at it because they wouldn't feel that deadline urgency that always propels me. It truly is a thankless job...all you can hope is that you get to work with a few good people and retire someday!
ReplyDeleteI'm fortunate that all of my co-workers, while not in the exact same boat as myself, have my work ethic and thus developed the same low tolerance of stupid that I have.
DeleteThe 10th guy in your department is wondering if he is the odd man out
ReplyDeleteThat tenth needs to be hired first in order to be the odd man out. :D
DeleteThat's sad, GB. To work in a difficult environment. Makes for a long day, I'm betting. I worked for Canada Post for many years, and they weren't easy years. Sorry this is happening to you.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely does make for a very long and very exasperating day.
DeleteUgh, people. Right? It's a sad situation when people don't appreciate what you do for them. I used to think that I just had to try harder to communicate with others, but eventually I figured out that some people never "get it", no matter how many times you try to explain yourself.
ReplyDeleteThat is so very true. No matter what you say or how you say it or what you use to back up what you say, people will still give you athlete's scalp.
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