Solved Going Back to Staples?
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And it hurts the department? Are you sure? You interject these things but if it really hurts Staples, are you confident that they are telling you to do it? How does it hurt the company?
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@scottalanmiller said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
@scottalanmiller said:
Isn't that the description of a job that would be very non-stressful?
It's a two-edged sword. Yes, I basically get to do the work my way and get things done overall to my standards. The problem becomes that I have very little support from the other techs. However, given that they've seen that the proof is in the pudding, to be cliche, I will probably have more management support this time.
The biggest problem often tends to be operational stuff...stock shelves, etc. Stuff that I can do and do well, but my time is much better spent doing other tasks, and I used to get yelled at when I tried to "delegate".
But again, boring maybe, not valuable perhaps, but why stressful?
Because it hurts the department, sales and I used to get yelled at for not getting it done, which stressed me out.
But why do you care? This is an emotional attachment to something that you should not be emotionally attached to. It's your job, you get paid and all you have to do is relax and doing it. The state of the department should not cause you any stress at all, none.
I'm good at this job because I care. I wish I could just relax but I can't...
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@thanksajdotcom But you can be good at a job and not find it stressful when you do what the job wants. You are creating your own definition of "good for" and "department success" that do not match the business' desires or goals. So that will always be stressful because you want something different for them than what they want. You "care" but you care about your own definition of what is good for them and not for the department itself.
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@scottalanmiller said:
And it hurts the department? Are you sure? You interject these things but if it really hurts Staples, are you confident that they are telling you to do it? How does it hurt the company?
Operational stuff, such as stocking, is important to driving general sales. When something is not on the shelf, even if we have it, someone may walk out without asking if we have it. It DOES hurt sales.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@thanksajdotcom But you can be good at a job and not find it stressful when you do what the job wants. You are creating your own definition of "good for" and "department success" that do not match the business' desires or goals. So that will always be stressful because you want something different for them than what they want. You "care" but you care about your own definition of what is good for them and not for the department itself.
Why do you think they're bringing me back? Because my method works. I get what you're saying though.
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@thanksajdotcom said:
@scottalanmiller said:
And it hurts the department? Are you sure? You interject these things but if it really hurts Staples, are you confident that they are telling you to do it? How does it hurt the company?
Operational stuff, such as stocking, is important to driving general sales. When something is not on the shelf, even if we have it, someone may walk out without asking if we have it. It DOES hurt sales.
Exactly. So it is important. Part of the whole of delivering value to the customers.
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@thanksajdotcom said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@thanksajdotcom But you can be good at a job and not find it stressful when you do what the job wants. You are creating your own definition of "good for" and "department success" that do not match the business' desires or goals. So that will always be stressful because you want something different for them than what they want. You "care" but you care about your own definition of what is good for them and not for the department itself.
Why do you think they're bringing me back? Because my method works. I get what you're saying though.
That your methods work doesn't mean that you don't make other people upset while doing so (which lowers your overall value to the company) and makes you upset and means that you can never really be happy because you have a value or desire mismatch that just doesn't work. Sure, you can brute force it into "good enough" but you are being driven by an emotion that is not healthy or helpful. Wanting the company to "do well" is well and good, but your definition of doing well and theirs either align or it isn't actually "doing well" that you want them to do.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@thanksajdotcom said:
@scottalanmiller said:
And it hurts the department? Are you sure? You interject these things but if it really hurts Staples, are you confident that they are telling you to do it? How does it hurt the company?
Operational stuff, such as stocking, is important to driving general sales. When something is not on the shelf, even if we have it, someone may walk out without asking if we have it. It DOES hurt sales.
Exactly. So it is important. Part of the whole of delivering value to the customers.
Yes, I've never denied its importance. However, it doesn't require any particular skill to do handle, unlike the sales and tech portions of the job. It's about the most efficient use of labor. CAN I do it? Yes. But there are things that I can do that others can't. Anyone can stock the shelves.
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Sounds like the issue is pride then. I've stocked shelves, it's just part of some jobs. Sure, you can do more than that. So can other people. But someone has to do it.
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I have gained a lot of humility over the past two months. I'm still stubborn but I fight for things that are important. Overall, my values and methods line up with the ship's captain, aka the GM. Me being gone for two months might have been the best thing I could have done for that job.
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@thanksajdotcom said:
I have gained a lot of humility over the past two months. I'm still stubborn but I fight for things that are important. Overall, my values and methods line up with the ship's captain, aka the GM. Me being gone for two months might have been the best thing I could have done for that job.
Now keep to it. Remember that a week ago dropping fries and flipping burgers or washing dishes would have been something you were thankful for. When you stock shelves remember you are doing your job, making people happy, helping the company and not above whatever it takes to make things work. It's great to take pride in your work and want to be the best and work hard at it. But never be above doing the jobs necessary for it. And never think less of the people who need to do them.
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@thanksajdotcom said:
The biggest problem often tends to be operational stuff...stock shelves, etc. Stuff that I can do and do well, but my time is much better spent doing other tasks, and I used to get yelled at when I tried to "delegate".
Are you in management? If not you should not be delegating. It's only your job to do what you are told to get done. It sounds like you think lots of stuff is beneath you (entitlement) and your better than doing that.
I work for a fortune 100 company as a Systems Admin/Engineer and I still stay over (salaried) to help other departments do thing sometimes like clean out storage room. Get things ready for employee appreciation days, employee lunches etc. Why? Because the company needs it done and I'm and employee of the company - we are there for the benefit as the company, not ourselves. I was never even asked to help out in those ways.
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@thanksajdotcom said:
I talked to my former tech supervisor who proceeded to tell me sales were great, computer work was great, and things were fine and doing just well without me and how I made his life difficult when I was there and that is he was basically better off without me.
However, the narrative I've heard from others is very different. My former GM called me and texted me today saying he has a "business proposal" for me. I also heard, through the grapevine, that the sales manager is fed up with the tech supervisor!
Staples has been and is running with out you, so don't go in with the attitude of they need you and can't run without you. They Can and will. They are doing you a favor, not you doing them one.
Your ego is the biggest issue here.
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So I don't consider it beneath me to stock shelves. Not at all. It's an important job and it needs to be done, and I still contribute towards it in a big way. My point is that there is only so much time in a day. And in a day, there are some employees that are very lazy. There are tasks that only I can do that others can't. So if I have to choose between doing two equally important tasks, one that only I can do and one that anyone can do, I prioritize based on ability. If I'm not there, some tasks are not getting done. But other tasks can still be accomplished. Going back, assuming it goes through, will be interesting. As much as people don't always agree with my methods, they never argue that it achieves the results, which is, again, why I'm being told that they want me back.
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I should add that the current sales manager has been a career operations manager and is only in that role because the operations manager role was already filled. But when I've worked there, she has often filled me in on what's going on from her level and standpoint and then has kind of left it to me to see it's done. It's very much an unspoken and unwritten agreement, but the result is she looks good. Anytime I have ever heard about them wanting me back, it's almost always been because they need someone technical, they are REALLY short-staffed in tech, it's holidays/back-to-school, but primarily (but not solely) it's usually because corporate is ragging on them for not hitting sales goals. I left that store with us at the top of the district in percent to budget in tech at 141% for the year, if I remember. Where that number is now and where we stand will tell me a lot.
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so by that logic, there have been critical department crashing tasks that only you can do, that haven't been being completed since you've been gone? Dude, you've got a job as a worker bee, work. do what you're told. If you're a manager, then you get to think (as much as the GM will allow you to atleast) and manage your department. If you're not a manager, do as you're told. It's literally the least stressful position to be managed, your job is to do as you're told, as long as it's ethical.
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and you've also got to learn how to handle stuff on your own. There are many MSPs, ITSPs, whateverSPs around here that more than likely would never consider picking you up because of how PUBLIC you are with EVERYTHING going on. Scott is your mentor apparently, you should have had this conversation with him on the phone, via text, or email. IMO
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I went to the store this morning. The tech supervisor saw me and proceeded to utter "I ****ing hate you and despise you", which told me two things:
- He knew they were bringing me back.
- They are definitely bringing me back.
He has been very much a jerk to me since I came back to NY, and I think he views me as a threat. I also have it on good word that he's been told he need to bring it down about 20 notches by my GM. My GM is taking me to lunch in two hours and we're going to be talking terms. I'm the one who have leverage here and I'm very happy about that. This is going to be good.
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@thanksajdotcom said:
I went to the store this morning. The tech supervisor saw me and proceeded to utter "I ****ing hate you and despise you", which told me two things:
- He knew they were bringing me back.
- They are definitely bringing me back.
- He didn't like your attitude.
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@thanksajdotcom said:
I'm the one who have leverage here and I'm very happy about that.
That's not entirely true. You desperately need them, they do not need you. They may want you, but the degree of need is vastly, vastly, in their favour. They have absolutely all of the leverage. 100% of it. The only advantage you might possibly have is that they may not realize that. But likely they do or you would not be having this conversation at all.
And remember, no matter what your impression or read of the situation is - that guy is your boss and they kept him after all of the things that you wrote when you were there last time and he is still your boss. So he has more leverage than you, no matter what. They decided then, since and still that he is above you. That's not some historic artifact, that is an ongoing decision and is current.
