Well Hell

This is the end of my Hell Week. Those 'other duties as assigned' have no option, must do duties. I've had insomnia and a lack of appetite. I spent the day with cramping in my bowels. I've been beaten, thoroughly defeated. 

My supervisor just can't understand why I am the only one that has a problem with the other duties. I came to the conclusion I no longer fit the job. Realization is peace. Imagine my wonder that the glorious internet had just what I needed. Yes to all five. Can I get an amen from the congregation? In Signs the Job No Longer Fits You, by Michelle Franklin, she writes

"It's seldom easy to decide to leave a current job. However, there are times when terminating current employment is the right thing to do. Maybe you are no longer satisfied with the work, or the culture of the company has changed significantly. It could be you are ready for a new challenge, or are simply ready to change careers. The following are some indicators it may be time to think about a job change:

You dread going to work. This one sounds pretty obvious, but when you are truly satisfied and happy with your work, you do not dread it. Everyone has an occasional day, or even a week or two, where work is not appealing. However, when this becomes the norm, it may be an indicator that it's time for a change.

The culture at work has changed and is now uncomfortable. In some ways, 'culture' has become a business buzzword, but there is still truth to the idea that the environment in the workplace can affect employees' happiness and satisfaction. When a company goes through significant cultural change due to shifts in leadership, focus, or goals, it can alter the environment enough to make employees unhappy. If your company culture has changed and no longer fits you, it may be time to look elsewhere.

Your job is no longer satisfying. While some jobs are naturally repetitive, a sense of satisfaction with your work is crucial to your effectiveness. When you no longer feel satisfied either by your work or by the results you achieve, you lose effectiveness at work and may not be fully engaged. Unengaged employees are not good for the company and are not happy with their work. When this occurs and you cannot find a way to reengage, it might be best to move on.

 You do not feel valued or appreciated. A paycheck is the main reason most of us work. However, this is not the only reason. People also need to feel a sense of appreciation for the work they do. After all, we spend more time at work than just about anywhere. If you do not feel valued during that time, it is difficult to feel committed to the work or the organization. Some jobs may provide a sense of value and appreciation through customer interaction. In other cases, this may be achieved through relationships with co-workers. In all cases, if you do not feel like you provide value, you may be prompted to look for something providing a greater sense of making a difference.

You feel burned out or cannot maintain work-life balance. Unfortunately, this is becoming more and more common as companies try to accomplish the same results with fewer and fewer employees. This means that employees left find themselves with increasingly heavy workloads, responsibilities, and assignments. You can only maintain a significantly increased pace for a while before you start to feel burned out with the work. You may still enjoy the work and find a great deal of satisfaction in it, but when work begins to take over the rest of your life, you may want to consider seeking something better suited to your long-term goals and values.

There are many obvious indicators to change a job. When a company is clearly struggling, a supervisor is difficult or impossible to work for, or other circumstances make it impossible to remain, it can be an easy decision. The signs above may be a bit more nebulous but are still valid reasons to examine whether it is time to look for a change.

Man Overboard

Only dead fish swim with the stream. --Malcolm Muggeridge

I live in a simple world. If it is wrong, stop doing it. If it is broken, fix it. If it's a lie, speak the truth. Stupid is as stupid does. If you go along, you get along. Uh….. no. When we go along to get along, we begin to abandon our own principles and persona. I don’t want to conform in order to have acceptance and security. I want to fit in with my differences intact.

From Wikipedia: 'Solomon Asch conducted his classic conformity experiments in an attempt to discover if people would still conform when the right answer was obvious. Using confederates, he created the illusion that an entire group of participants believed something that was obviously false. When in this situation, participants conformed about a third of the time on trials where the confederates gave obviously false answers.' So agree to a lie and people will like you.

I picked up an upper respiratory virus while on vacation which showed up after I returned to work. Bummer. I needed to call in under the new policy which requires me to speak directly to either my boss or director. No more leaving a message or texting. I called my boss, left a message saying I was sick, and would continue to call her. After two more attempts to the office, one to her cell phone and one to the director with no answers I left another message. I admit it was a pissy message about attempting to reach them with no luck. Why make a policy without a way to successfully implement it? An hour later, I get a pissy call to acknowledge my pissy call. (Was that really necessary, Boss? Hope you feel better now.) When I ask what can be done in the future to reach someone, she says, leave a message. What? Forrest Gump would be pleased. Stupidity is based more on our actions than on the speed at which you think. 

My husband says I get in trouble because I ‘rock the boat’. I disturb the status quo. After eight years, I think I finally realize the boat is anchored. It’s not going anywhere. Time to jump ship.

We Have Some Very Angry Customers Today

Temper's the one thing you can't get rid of, by losing it.  --Dr. Buddy Rydell, Anger Management the movie

That would be referring to me. Saturday, I went to a well known pet warehouse to pick up some water purifier for my Betta, Ruby. I get behind an old lady with her old chihuahua in the child seat of a very full cart. She says, 'I'm gonna be awhile.' I see the other checkout line has a Closed sign, but a customer is being cashed out. I'm not sure what to do. The male cashier with the closed sign motions for me to come over. Before I could get there a couple walk up and he proceeds to cash them out. WTH? When the couple leave, I go tell the guy, 'You could have told them I was first.' (Remember, I want a fair world.) He takes my purchase hitting the register keys, slamming the scanner gun in the holster, and saying to the air, 'We have some very angry customers today.' WTH? I asked him if he had something to say and he walks off and leaves the store. Thankfully the manager witnessed it all. While the manager finished the sale he assured me he was working on improving things. It would get better. Nope, not in this small town.

So one day later I am questioning my actions. Did I do the right thing? I am learning how to speak up for myself, but was this confrontational, aggressive? Dr Phil defines the difference between being assertive or aggressive. Assertiveness protects my rights, but it doesn't necessarily infringe on the rights of others. Aggressiveness also protect my rights, but it also hurts someone else's rights. 

My scriptural thought for the day was from Proverbs 15:1. 'An answer, when mild, turns away rage, but a word causing pain makes anger to come up.' The practical application was if you find yourself in a tense situation and you sense anger building inside you, it may help to leave the scene, thus giving your emotions time to settle. If the one with whom you are speaking starts to get angry, make an extra effort to speak graciously. A cutting or aggressive remark would add fuel to the fire even if it is delivered in a gentle voice. (Proverbs 26:21)

I'm of two minds here. I think I was assertive not aggressive. On the other hand, I seemed to have caused some pain to that cashier. Did I add fuel to the fire? This grownup stuff just doesn't get easier with age.