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marmotta
Blue Jay
Joined: Feb 27, 2008
Age: 34
Posts: 85
Location: Maryland
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 Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:02 am Post subject: They promoted me?!? |
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My new boss was looking for a floor supervisor. I wasn't about to apply for the job, but I heard that someone who loves to make my life miserable was going for the same position.
So, I interviewed.
The one question that seemed to please him the most: Do you have any friends on your shift? I answered honestly, that I do not...all of my friends are from another department.
I start tonight, and get one night training. My predecessor had two weeks. My co-workers thought I was starting last week and staged a one day call off in protest.
Oh boy. |
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alex
Developer
Joined: Jun 14, 2004
Age: 22
Posts: 6292
Location: DC Metro Area (No. VA)
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| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:24 am Post subject: |
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wow, that's great. Congratulations!
Don't be too much of a hard ass to your employees.   |
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LostInEmulation
Penguin
Joined: Feb 11, 2008
Posts: 1239
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:16 am Post subject: |
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Congrats! 
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I am no native speaker. Please contact me, if I made grammatical mistakes in the posting above.
GENERATION 20: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment. |
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marmotta
Blue Jay
Joined: Feb 27, 2008
Age: 34
Posts: 85
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:32 am Post subject: |
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You know Alex, two other supervisors expressed concerns to our manager that I would be a hard ass. I'm not seeing where that would come from... I don't register much facial expression at work...not much point in it.
Still think its odd they were specifically looking for someone who does not make friends easily. |
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AnnieDog
Snowy Owl
Joined: Apr 02, 2008
Posts: 134
Location: New England
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| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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Marmotta: Congrats!
I don't know how you communicate verbally, but you could be like me. If I'm going to have a difficult or complex discussion about an issue, I tend to rehearse, think carefully, and even write out an agenda with talking points. This means that when I open my mouth, I sound like a professor lecturing students or dictatorial. Since the lecturing isn't tempered by jokes, smiles, or other non-verbal things that might otherwise put the recipient at ease, it can be off-putting and make me seem overly tough. Once they get to know you a bit better, your staff will understand that you're not *really* lecturing, you just talk that way. They'll even tell their co-workers that "you didn't mean it that way". At least that's what happened with me.
Chummy people can be lousy managers because they have a hard time telling their friends what to do. By not being friends with your co-workers, you were in a good position to manage them but it's like they promoted the square peg. If they are already being annoying (the one day call-off sounds like it), then quietly see if you can communicate with them one-on-one to figure out what their beef is. It could just be that someone popular wanted the job and didn't get it. Someone will likely appreciate you for being straightforward and will return in kind. (Someone else will be suspicious about it, but alas.)
Best Wishes!
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Apologies if I sound judgmental, preachy, dictatorial, offensive or overly rigid. Constructive criticism via PM is welcome. |
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marmotta
Blue Jay
Joined: Feb 27, 2008
Age: 34
Posts: 85
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:53 pm Post subject: |
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You and I do communicate in much the same way. I rehearse a lot of conversations in my head, always have....even as a kid. I won a lot of speech contests in high school as well.
There is a popularity issue, the other candidate was more popular on the floor, told everyone he got it, and bragged how he would let everyone keep longer breaks. Sorry to say, but the breaks must be reduced per upper management, and the sick leave can no longer be abused. No matter who got the job, enforcement of company policy would be mandatory.
My one training night is tonight. Bad thing about where I work, they speak quickly and expect you to get it on the first crack. I'm a visual learner, and note taker. Audio directions are pointless lol.
Time to get ready... |
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curiouslittleboy
Deinonychus
Joined: Jun 07, 2007
Age: 20
Posts: 328
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| Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Congrats on your promotion...but that sounds a bit weird that you'd only get one day of training vs. the two weeks that your predecessor got. O.o dang... |
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marmotta
Blue Jay
Joined: Feb 27, 2008
Age: 34
Posts: 85
Location: Maryland
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| Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:55 am Post subject: |
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| I know. but if I flat out refuse to fail, then I cannot fail. First night was strange. I'm off today and fly solo tomorrow. |
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Brittany2907
Self-Proclaimed Animal Lover
Joined: Jun 10, 2007
Age: 17
Posts: 3729
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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| marmotta wrote: |
Still think its odd they were specifically looking for someone who does not make friends easily. |
I think it may have been because someone who doesn't make friends easily would most likely treat everyone as equals instead of giving their friends unfair advantages above other employees.
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The hero is no braver than the ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
You haven't failed until you quit trying.
- Unknown Author.
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Katou
Sea Gull
Joined: Jan 14, 2007
Posts: 245
Location: Dieppe, New Brunswick
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| Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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A supervisoral/management position isn't all that bad. Sometimes us aspies have things that they're looking for!
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Life is a journey, let's ride 
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kornik
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: May 26, 2007
Posts: 47
Location: UK
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| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:24 am Post subject: Re: They promoted me?!? |
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Great.Congratulations and well done"!
Just goes to show we can do it. Being honest as well doesn't also mean a negative.
| marmotta wrote: | My new boss was looking for a floor supervisor. I wasn't about to apply for the job, but I heard that someone who loves to make my life miserable was going for the same position.
So, I interviewed.
The one question that seemed to please him the most: Do you have any friends on your shift? I answered honestly, that I do not...all of my friends are from another department.
I start tonight, and get one night training. My predecessor had two weeks. My co-workers thought I was starting last week and staged a one day call off in protest.
Oh boy. |
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rifler39
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: Mar 17, 2008
Age: 69
Posts: 194
Location: Moses Lake, WA
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 12:19 am Post subject: |
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One technique I used which with a (semi) hostile crew was to work with each in turn to have them teach me their job. If you already know how to do that job, ask for tips the worker knows that make it easier or better. They won't be afraid that you are going to take their job, because you are already past them in the food chain. You will be asking them to help you understand their problems and frustrations. And you can make personal contact with each one.
The important thing is to create a team which wants to work together to make the job easier. You need to be seen as the key to making things easier.
I don't know if this is much help to you, but it worked for me when I had a number of people working for me.
Pops
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Tools are dangerous only while being controlled by a human.
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MysteryFan3
Ex-COBOL dinosaur. roar.
Joined: Jun 09, 2007
Age: 51
Posts: 1358
Location: Indiana
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| Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 12:43 am Post subject: |
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The supervisors who bad-mouthed you may be friends of the other candidate, too. Seems like that joker spent a lot of time making friends by making empty promises. Sounds like a back-stabber. I hope your new crew learns to appreciate being treated fairly.
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To eliminate poverty, you have to eliminate at least three things: time, the bell curve and the Pauli Exclusion Principle. Have fun. |
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