Uninspired

My mind is really racing today for a variety of reasons that I want to touch on in later posts. It is too much to put down in one post, and it is all a jumble in my brain. Still, I’m too excited to keep it internalized, so I want to touch on my thoughts now, before they fade. Then, I can focus on each one and fully develop them later.

I came up with the title for this post on the bus home today, and I’m not entirely sure it fits. I guess what I am trying to convey is that it doesn’t matter what you say or how many shiny pamphlets of The Company’s fabulous values you produce – as the leaders of a company (or any kind of leader – a parent, a sports coach, a member of the neighborhood association) it is what you DO that people notice and remember. If what you DO doesn’t match that shiny pamphlet or your teary-eyed heart felt speech, then you will be viewed as a person who lacks integrity. People may continue to follow you – to a point – for money or whatever agenda they have. However, they won’t take any risks for you, they certainly will not trust you, and they will never be loyal to you. To put it in the words of the movie “Office Space” they will only do enough to not get fired, and most of them are probably polishing their resumes, surfing the help wanted ads in their spare time, or gunning for your job behind your back.
Read the rest of this entry »

Here is another Slow Leadership article that is unbelievable! This is exactly how I felt in my uninspired job. It pretty much describes the day I started as a temp until the day I was fired (minus that lovely year when I had a manger who shared info with me, trusted me, wasn’t politically two-faced, and fought for our department to be trusted. She was laid off pretty swiftly.) I kept telling my last manager that the executives could say anything they wanted, but it is what they do that reveals how much they value their employees.
http://www.slowleadership.org/2006/06/mistrust-and-trust.html

Check out this article by: Paul Kaihla of Business 2.0 Magazine.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/02/technology/business2_nextjobboom_cover0502/index.htm

Here is an exerpt:
“The number of workers who are delivering take-this-job-and-shove-it speeches and bailing for more rewarding, less spirit-crushing work is at a five-year high.”

Did I work in a sit-com? I have to share with you one of the last things that happened at The Company before they kicked my lovely butt out the door. This could easily be an episode of “The Office.” I suppose TV shows, movies, and comic strips are funny because they are based on nuggets of truth. Read the rest of this entry »

I injured my foot. Yep, all that chasing after Chip n’ Dale, Pocahontas, Pinnochio, and Mom caused my right foot to start hurting quite a bit. After a few weeks of Ibuprofin and ice, I went to the doctor. She decided to have an x-ray taken just to make sure there isn’t a small fracture. “Which diagnostic center do you want to go to?” the doctor asked. “Hmmm,” I thought “I could make an outing of this.” I chose the Providence Hospital diagnostic center in NE Portland. Why? Read on, gentle reader, read on… Read the rest of this entry »

I thought I had found the perfect job for me. It was at a company that makes biotech software – stuff like protein modelling software and drug discovery software. This was the perfect fusion of my science education and my software QA career. Read the rest of this entry »

I haven’t told you the entire story about my demise at work. It can be summed up in a simple word: MUCK.

MUCK (actual word has been changed to protect the innocent) is a new style of “dextrous” software development that allows the owners of a company to make more money in less time with less people. “The Holy Grail” if you will.

MUCK is named after a poker term that means “a discarded hand” (analogy changed to protect the guilty). Read the rest of this entry »