Pet Hates........or FFS

[Marco]

Hi John,

I think it's just inherent in any organisation where there is no commercial pressure and no threat of the company going bump overnight. It attracts people who want long term job security, and the lack of staff turnover then leads to comfort zones and complacency. The pay can be better than the private sector if you stay there long enough and the terms and conditions wipe the floor with 95% of modern private sector jobs, especially at lower levels. It breeds staleness and naturally absorbs people who dislike change and lack ambition.

Spot on (especially the bits in bold). However, steps should be taken to ensure that staff are actually *earning* their wages, and in that respect their performance should be continually monitored, in order to maintain standards and eradicate any 'dead wood'. There should be NO long-term job security, within any business or company, unless you're hard working and GOOD at your job!!

I just struggle relating to the mentality you've outlined, as I've always been a highly-driven and ambitious individual, predisposed to doing my best within the role I'm employed to perform, and pushing myself to achieving high standards and attaining the personal goals I've set.

I guess that's why I was always ultimately destined to run my own business and make a success of it, and now at 52 (and indeed has been the case for the last 15 years), I'm semi-retired, mortgage and debt-free, and living a happy and comfortable life, whereas the folk you refer to are likely the opposite, and still stuck behind their desks in their dead-end jobs, wasting their life away....

No wonder they're all miserable bastards!

Marco.

[Crackles]

Hi John,



Spot on (especially the bits in bold). However, steps should be taken to ensure that staff are actually *earning* their wages, and in that respect their performance should be continually monitored, in order to maintain standards and eradicate any 'dead wood'.

I just struggle relating to the mentality you've outlined, as I've always been a highly-driven and ambitious individual, predisposed to doing my best and pushing myself to achieving high standards and attaining the personal goals I've set.

I guess that's why I was always ultimately destined to run my own business and make a success of it, and now at 52 (and indeed has been the case for the last 15 years), I'm semi-retired, mortgage and debt-free, and living a happy and comfortable life, whereas the folk you refer to are likely the opposite, and still stuck behind their desks in their dead-end jobs, wasting their life away....

No wonder they're all miserable bastards!

Marco.

Totally agree. I started my working life at a company that was part of a government-owned, but soon to be privatised, industry. I absolutely hated it, but I didn't realise at the time that the reason I hated it was because I was so unfulfilled. There were no targets and we could all get away with doing very little.

I also work for myself now, and by far the the most enjoyable days I have at work are where I'm really busy and productive. It's the difference between tortuously waiting for the clock to hit 5pm and wishing the clock would slow down because you want to get something finished that day. Some of those public sector workers might enjoy a bit more pressure if they tried it.

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[Joe]

What I always say is, before you criticise someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you'll be a mile away and they won't be able to catch up with you because they won't have any shoes.

[Joe]

I havent damaged many over the years but I agree they could be better.

It's quite disconcerting to read Marco's rants about public sector workers, immediately followed by the above (which I guess could also apply to public sector workers).

[Marco]

I also work for myself now, and by far the the most enjoyable days I have at work are where I'm really busy and productive. It's the difference between tortuously waiting for the clock to hit 5pm and wishing the clock would slow down because you want to get something finished that day.

Yup - I know exactly what you mean; it centres around a pride in having achieved something useful. However, some folk just aren't 'wired up' that way, especially if they've been brought up in an under-achieving environment, by people content with mundane mediocrity, or less. Chances are, they'll never amount to anything worthwhile.

The other nice feelings, when you're self-employed, is knowing that the profit you make is your own (not that of the company you work for), and best of all for me, is being in full CONTROL of my day, so I can choose to work late or finish early, or even take a day off altogether!

Having no-one to answer to, in that respect, and thus the TIME and FREEDOM to do what you want, when you want, with no-one BOSSING or CONTROLLING you, at work (or at home, for that matter), is worth its weight in gold. In that respect, I'd never return to working for anyone else, not even if the promised salary was 100 times what I'm earning now!!

Some things in life are worth much more than money....

Marco.

[alphaGT]

Yup - I know exactly what you mean; it centres around a pride in having achieved something useful. However, some folk just aren't 'wired up' that way, especially if you've been brought up in an under-achieving environment, by people content with mundane mediocrity, or less. They're never amount to anything worthwhile.

The other nice feelings, when you're self-employed, is knowing that the profit you make is your own (not that of the company you work for), and best of all for me, is being in full CONTROL of my day, so I can choose to work late or finish early, or even take a day off altogether!

Having no-one to answer to, in that respect, and thus the TIME and FREEDOM to do what you want, when you want, with no-one BOSSING or CONTROLLING you, at work (or at home, for that matter), is worth its weight in gold. In that respect, I'd never return to working for anyone else, not even if the promised salary was 100 times what I'm earning now!!

Some things in life are worth much more than money....

Marco.

Here here! Life is too short to live a miserable life chasing money, it seems the more you make, the more you spend, and the less time you have to enjoy it. I learned the hard way that money is not everything.

And a funny thing about the sense of accomplishment. When I was a carpenter, I took great pride in my work! Doors and trim were my specialty and while I was paid very little, I had a great sense of accomplishment for a job well done. So, after a few years of college, and a new life in the office working on computers, I find there is no sense of accomplishment in computers. They either work or they don’t, mostly don’t! No matter how great the challenge, all you could hope to achieve is bringing it back to normal. While I made four times as much as I did as a carpenter, my standard of living was slightly up, and my levels of happiness were lower. But I am happily out of the rat race now and I must say I don’t miss it at all.

Russell

[Marco]

Russell, you and I, my friend, are firmly on the same page!

The 'rat race' is ultimately for losers...

Marco.

[Minstrel SE]

I dont agree with everything there as these people are micro managed so they can tick 20 boxes but we dont feel we have had a good experience.

A lot of those jobs are so dead end and under the thumb it must be hard to get up in the morning. The micro management can take away any leeway these people have to put extra soul into it. I blame the managers and the system more often than the staff

I dont think there is long term security in most roles. My view is that died out with my dads generation. I saw men who are now in their 70s and 80s who had careers for life in banking or as a field engineers. It was always tough but there seems to be less perks like compamy cars now and more hassle to stay employed.

I feel that my age group and younger started to see a more ruthless form of management who were more than happy to show you the door. Its like the job market has been going to hell in a handcart because there are more people competing than ever. Maybe the truth is that boom times cant be sustained in any system. World wars can be considered as a pressure valve for failing economies but Im getting deep now

Yes its nice to work for yourself but does involve long hours and its own stress. Yes you dont have a boss but youve got to serve somebody and holidays are out of the question untill well established with perhaps some extra staff

[walpurgis]

World wars can be considered as a pressure valve for failing economies but Im getting deep now

I suspect we are not too far from something of the sort. But I think it may not come in any form most would anticipate.

[alphaGT]

I dont agree with everything there as these people are micro managed so they can tick 20 boxes but we dont feel we have had a good experience.

A lot of those jobs are so dead end and under the thumb it must be hard to get up in the morning. The micro management can take away any leeway these people have to put extra soul into it. I blame the managers and the system more often than the staff

I dont think there is long term security in most roles. My view is that died out with my dads generation. I saw men who are now in their 70s and 80s who had careers for life in banking or as a field engineers. It was always tough but there seems to be less perks like compamy cars now and more hassle to stay employed.

I feel that my age group and younger started to see a more ruthless form of management who were more than happy to show you the door. Its like the job market has been going to hell in a handcart because there are more people competing than ever. Maybe the truth is that we had centuries of misery then 20 years of boom times which cant be sustained in any system. World wars can be considered as a pressure valve for failing economies but Im getting deep now

Yes its nice to work for yourself but does involve long hours and its own stress. Yes you dont have a boss but youve got to serve somebody and long holidays are out of the question untill well established with perhaps some staff

What you say is very true. Here in the US, there are many who repeat what they’ve heard on tv, and thing we need open borders! Let anyone in who wants to come! And then do not realize the affect that has on their job market. They think these immigrants only want the jobs we don’t. But that’s just not true, those jobs were filled before? And it reverberates up the job ladder. Those who used to work fields must get better jobs, those people must get better jobs, and before you know it, your executive position is under stress from all the applicants. And the big companies love it! Yes, they can pay you whatever they like, take away your benefits, because if you don’t like it, there’s someone at the door who will. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not against immigration, but it needs to be controlled, just letting the entire 3rd world move in will only make us all poor. These people are much better served if we try to bring their counties up to modern standards, let them prosper at home! But of course, unless your country is oil rich, you won’t see western powers trying to help you along.

Russell