pandemian

Soon after graduating from college I met with a former teacher and expressed my surprise at finding that most of the folks where I had just gotten a job were perfectly happy spending their entire day sitting at a terminal punching numbers into the system. Most of them had been doing it for ten years or more and would be happy to continue doing so until their retirement.

At which point my teacher glared and me and said, "And you have no right to look down on them because of it!"

And he was right.

So, as I am sent from seminar to seminar, participating in Sexual Harrassment Education, On The Job Training Techniques, Project Management Retreats, Stress Relief Exercises, Improved Communicaton Skills Training, and rah-rah, "dog and pony show" managment presentations (not to mention the obligatory management parties you must attend or you'll look like you're not a "Team Player") I endevour to get through them speaking as little as possible and discussing nothing of importance because this is not where the real work gets done and it is not my job to educate the consultants who were hired to present the material.

I understand it is their job and they have an agenda to get through and my engaging them in a meaningful conversation will not benifit them, myself, or the rest of the inmates, but will simply prolong the course while accomplishing nothing.

Take the cources, fill out the tests (if there are any) give them high marks for their presentation, and don't challenge them openly.

It means nothing to you and everything to them.

And if you told them what you where really interested in discussing they wouldn't get it anyway.

Besides, it gave you the material for this posting so it benifited you in ways they will never imagine.

Unless they read your blog.

"Jack, can I see you in my office?"