Larry Bock wrote:This post belongs here. Does anyone work at a place where morale is non existent. I'm not talking about an " off day" or one or two negative people. I'm talking a small plumbing/ fire protection shop. Eight to ten people, where an invisible cloud of misery hangs in the air.
Most of like what we do. I, myself am pretty happy when I'm working with my hands. I'd would really like to say "Larry, it must be you". I've been there for 17 years and it used to be a good upbeat place to work. The guys would laugh and joke while we loaded up in the morning
Decay would be the best term to what happened there. My boss puts help wanted ads in the paper and no one responds lol. Yes,I could just move on but, with me moving in the spring, it's a place to winter over. Mentioned this was meaningless drivel. Anyone here work at such a place? Anyone have a suggestion to improve what is lacking??? Larry
"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do."
"Study books and observe nature; if they do not agree, throw away the books." ~ William A. Albrecht
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."-Margaret Mead "The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision."-Helen Keller
Roberto pokachinni wrote:I can definitely relate to this thread and what everyone has posted.
The 4 billion dollar a year corporation I work in is a lot like Mile's describes. There is such a toxic culture of mismanagement that the options are limited. But there are some good crews and good work environments within it. You just have to get on the right crews. Unfortunately that is not the case for me right now.
In my situation, I work with a total narcissist, who happens to be my railway welding foreman. We work as a two man crew. He's so completely in love with himself that his every thought and action is formed by it. Problem is he is not the good at his job, but he thinks that he's the best at it. This is a dangerous combination, made all the more dangerous by many factors, not the least of which is that he's not the bright, and we work in a dangerous environment. I try to stay upbeat myself, but there are so many instances where it is impossible that it just brings me down. If I start a conversation, no matter what it is, the conversation changes within a few minutes to something about him or his experiences, and he will continue talking as if he's in a conversation for nearly an hour without noticing that I have exited the conversation, avoided making eye contact; this is while we drive and the FM radio has faded in the hinterland. I'm the captive audience. We go to do our job, and he's supposed to be training me, but his practices are so poor that I have to ignore him out of moral imperative and safety factor. If time is tight, I'm being micro-managed by a mental midget who uses most of his intellect to delude himself.
I actually have to quit my present job, which I was just trained at this last winter, because there is no option to transfer in the welding department until another guy retires in two years. Presently, working local, I still have to commute 40 minutes each way each day for 5 days a week. That's over 26 hours a month. So I am either stuck commuting like crazy just to deal with him and stay local to home, or I bid out to a regional job; which means that i would have to drive to work locations (a lot further away) but then be in work trucks for the work cycle until I drive home. There's no way I can work under this guy for that long so I'm bidding out, and will likely not be welding professionally again.
The best bids I've seen on recent bulletins were on Bridges and Structures as a carpenter. Creosote wood, but back to wood anyway, which I like to work with. Another bonus is the hours: 8days on and 6 days off. I might get even more time at home with this gig and it might be a pay raise once I get through the training and go from labor to carpenter. There is also a friend of mine on this gang, so I would have at least one guy that I get along with right from the start. Before this winter is done, I want to be on his crew, I think.
"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do."
Ha ha. That would be cool. But I'm not super attached to welding. The welding training that I have is adequate but fairly limited, and the certification I received is through my railway, which is not transferable. Apart from that, getting into welding with a portable welder would be quite the investment. I don't even own a welder at home yet, let alone a portable one to go out on service calls. I would guess that a good portable welder is going to cost a fair bit, and would take up most of my truck, be heavy enough that I wouldn't want to take it on and off all the time, and as such make me want to commit to it full time, and probably have yet another vehicle to insure if I wanted a truck for anything else. There is a possibility of getting a half decent welding truck at an auction at a decent price, but like I said, I'm not that attached to welding as work. I do plan to get my own welder to do things at home, but no plans for professional work.I agree with you, in some situations, it's better to cut your losses. Not sure what it is like in that area, but here, a good welder can work "side jobs" and support himself really well. Then the only time you have to work with an asshole is if you're it
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."-Margaret Mead "The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision."-Helen Keller
but that is not completely accurate. The man does have a soft spot for animals, and a love a nature, and although he didn't admit to being the father of two girls for years, he now has taken on the role of parenting two girls and when he speaks of them and his time together, his eyes shine with wonder. I try to steer the conversations to topics where I can feel get to the heart of the man. The rest of the time (he talks almost constantly) he is trying to puff himself up like a peacock; it's hyperbole, after utter bullshit, after another story about me me me, or his world, and he repeats himself endlessly, like he's on a loop track. I don't know how many times I've heard the same stories repeated since I started working with him last winter. If I put in any effort at all (often I just stare out the window, or put earplugs in with the intention of keeping welding slag out of my ears, and ignore him) it is to try to change the topic to a place where the conversation is fresh, or it is about his girls or some animals.He's so completely in love with himself that his every thought and action is formed by it.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."-Margaret Mead "The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision."-Helen Keller
Men argue, nature acts - Voltaire
Todd Parr wrote: Not sure what it is like in that area, but here, a good welder can work "side jobs" and support himself really well. Then the only time you have to work with an asshole is if you're it
"Our ability to change the face of the earth increases at a faster rate than our ability to foresee the consequences of that change"
- L.Charles Birch
Living in Anjou , France,
For the many not for the few
http://www.permies.com/t/80/31583/projects/Permie-Pennies-France#330873
It seems that the more levels of management and the larger the bureaucracy, the less that truth and integrity matter, at least in my experience. It is far better to omit a falsehood, then to admit a truth that reveals it; at least where I work. It's a shame that people of integrity have to compromise their morals/ethics/way of being in order to involve themselves in these sorts of enterprises.That is not unusual when you tell the truth and have integrity.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."-Margaret Mead "The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision."-Helen Keller