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Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Who's the Boss?

I have an employee I need to discuss. Let's call him Richard.


Without sugarcoating this, Richard is rude and separates the team with his boisterous arrogant attitude towards some of our customers. It's not all of the customers, which is key here. He treats others like they are family but talks about them behind their backs terribly. He feeds them lies about what he's able to do as an employee and, unfortunately, they believe him. That makes them question MY company's policies! 

The personality Dick showed our panel during the interviews had me concerned at the time but they assured me he was a 'sane' worker. Later, I found several questionable situations he'd been involved in and confirmed he'd lied about a lot of his references. Sigh.

The last straw has been that he's been consulting with a major competitor behind our backs, RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR FACES! This particular company has been trying to take down our business since my grandparents days and he knows it. They know our business treats customers and employees better than they do and they absolutely HATE it. Rather than do better for their people, they want to ruin ours. I don't know what they've promised him but it hurts that he is operating in this way. He's been asked about it and keeps taking up for them. The guy has no loyalty at all.

I've decided that Dick really is quite a bully. He likes to pick fights with everyone and does so frequently. But, I have noticed he backs down pretty quickly if he's confronted with his own words. It happened recently with one of our English clients. He couldn't repeat what he'd said to her face. Typical of insecure, sad little men. 

He seems to always be on vacation and never around when we need him to take care of business. However, there are many times it's preferable that he stay out of business discussions. He lacks, uh, professionalism. Yes, we'll go with that word for now. 

My biggest pet peeve is that his manipulations are awful for team morale. Dick's been dividing and pushing others to anger quite quickly and then stepping away, grinning, as if he had nothing to do with it. I think they call that Narcissism. The team members are afraid he will cause trouble for them so they say nothing. It's strange how he constantly claims everyone's against him...like a little kid. It's pretty pathetic, actually.

Lastly, I found out that Dick sold the Human Resources Representative a bill of goods. He made it seem he really wanted the job and was soundly qualified to do it. If HR had checked his application more carefully and spoken to his former employers, they would have found the jobs he held were definitely in sales, which was OK but not what we needed. But, the rest was a twisted, fabricated mess of 'little white lies' he told and shady dealings are popping up everywhere in his past. I want to fire the HR rep, too, but my partners are preventing me, so far. I have to bide my time on that as I argue my case. I don't know why everyone doesn't see the proof that he doesn't fit what we stand for.

I could say I just don't like the guy but he and others would look at that as being prejudiced and unfair. Personality does not make or break an employee, or rather, it shouldn't. Whether they are capable of good performance is the criteria. I don't care if they join the team for a barbeque or drinks after work as long as they don't cost me clients, our reputation, money, other good employees, or our mission statement. Our clients have been pushed away. Our reputation is in the toilet. Dick's costing us more than our profits. Employees are quitting but are being quickly replaced. We are hoping for a wave of new hires in November after our Job Fair.

Oh, yes. 

Our mission statement is the foundation of our company. It starts with "We the People...". You may know it. I discovered this guy hasn't even read it and he mimes his way through our company singalongs pretending he knows the words. Sigh.

I'm not good at firing people. But this guy's gotta go. He's creating damage that will take YEARS to correct! When the Fraud and Press Departments are done gathering information, I'll present it all to the board and hope they finally understand the humungous error we made in hiring Dick. He has been a little antsy lately like he knows the firing is coming. Maybe he's worked out a new job with the competition. I hope so.

Are you asking me why he still works for us? I'm wondering that, too. Especially since he believes we work for him.

Wish us luck.

Say Goodbye, Dick.

Saturday, June 30, 2018

Is it Hard to be NICE?

I think so. Because, in my opinion, it's not a real word. It doesn't require anything of you.

Nice is what someone says to not hurt your feelings about an outfit that doesn't look good.

Nice is how you describe a meal you didn't care for but pick at for the hostess' sake.

Nice how we think others see us.

Nice is the equivalent of today's 'fine', 'ok' and 'whatever'. It's a non-descriptive non-committed word.

I prefer words that fully describe feelings and leave no doubt. Recently, I've jumped on the word "Care" as a verb. Care is an action word. It involves someone besides yourself. You either do or you don't.

  • 1. feel concern or interest; attach importance to something: "they don't care about human life"
  • 2. look after and provide for the needs of: "he has numerous animals to care for"

On the First "Lady's" trip to show compassion for others or whatever her intention, she revealed, she may or may not care. Her husband shows again and again he does not care about everyone. The people that support him, I have hope for. If I don't have hope, I have nothing.


Citizens have allowed brazen and disgraceful behavior to become the norm in the United States. I refuse to believe it is because people don't care. I want to believe it is because of a misplaced sense of survival, they don't recognize it or know how to confront it. Perhaps people feel weakened. They may feel there is nothing to be done and no way to help others. If the mindset is to accept the flourishing corruption in our country, the demise of Democracy and rise of not caring, we are ALL in a profoundly scary place.

The bells are chiming lately to be 'civil', aka nice. The humans hearing that actually believe they ARE. Where is the disconnect?

The disconnect is because we tend to think in terms of black and white, not only in skin color, but for every issue you can name. Let's face it. It's easier that way. This is Good. They are Bad. They are all Rich. They are all Poor. The White Hat wins. The Black Hat loses. We are Smart. They are Dumb. They are the Elite. We are the Elite. We are Honest. They are Crooks. We tell the Truth. THEY are liars. We are Right. They are Wrong. We are Moral. They are Sinners. Ooh. That's a tricky one!

As divided as we have become on many issues since the never-ending campaign for this presidency, those same issues are bringing to light one glaring similarity. The statements above could be coming from the Right OR the Left. In fact, you will hear each one from both sides. Why do others not see that?

They don't care?

I listen to news channels discussing politics too much these days. It is akin to seeing a couple of Kindergartners in a sand box. They play while saying what they want. The talk doesn't have to be related to what the other is saying at all because neither child is really listening. However, an ear will perk up if one hears the word "ice cream" or "Superman". In the 'grownups' case, it's when they hear the catchwords "right" or "left". I find the demand to identify with a side fascinating!

Cities are gathering this weekend to protest America's recent disgraceful Immigration policy of separating children at the borders from their parents without a solid plan to house or return them. I'm glad for anyone showing they care. I'm sad it took this to display it.


I love Rachel Maddow and how she presents news. I wept with her reacting to small, confused and frightened immigrant children. Now, don't scream at me. I want to open a discussion also related to children. Where are the tears and protesters when children are being separated from their lives in their mother's wombs? Where are they when foster children in the system already in the country need homes and stable families...of any sexual orientation? Where are they when children are being raised with trauma disorders, merely from being a certain color in this country? Where are they when those same children are exposed to violence from their neighbors and from those hired to serve and protect?

The ones gathering at rallies to support policies displaying who we are NOT in this country should look within and at the religion they profess to be. Demonstrations of Christianity should bring others to God, not cause others to joke and sneer at Him and call you out as a hypocrite. Actions speak louder. LOVE speaks volumes! Caring is a start.

We are distracted by labels when caring for the Poor and disenfranchised should be our focus. We are stunted by our failure to communicate while sitting smackdab in the middle of the dwindling Middle-Class. Somehow we have lost our sense of what it means to be human and to care about fellow humans. The "self-made man" hears hackneyed words of "love of brothers and sisters" because they don't need anyone (pride) and anyone who needs help is weak (Ahem, Pride.) and to mention you need help is a weakness (Yo!! PRIDE!). The result is a failure to care.

No one is asking for you to reach into your wallet constantly. To be honest, the Poor seem to understand what is real in life, i.e. Faith, Love family and human dignity. The rest just have a 'nicer' house and 'better' food. The Poor learn to care from a young age, to read faces and behaviors and care about what they find. They learn to share and to survive with others. The downfall of a neighbor is their downfall. The dignity of a man is important to his family's survival. An ability to care for a child is a mother's strength. The rest, well, they have the latest smartphone.

How distracted are we to not see money does not make one virtuous nor does title and power? It doesn't even provide so-called Happiness. Seeing each person AS a person helps. No one has a patent on loving and supporting a family. Realizing we are ALL on this very fragile planet and only separated by water and ideals helps. Letting go of biased opinions and seeking to meet and understand others helps. Seeing others as we see ourselves helps. Not being an Us and a Them helps.

Nice doesn't help. Caring does.

Reboot? Review what issues and beliefs you have in common with the other "side" as a human....like they are. What can you do to show you care?







  

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Russia aside...WTF?


Puzder
Porter
Bannon
Sorensen
Moore
Ailes
Lewandowski
O'Reilly
Kelly
TRUMP


Women. Humans.

Abuse. Insults. Predatory behavior. Chauvinism. Illegal activities. Financial 'mishaps'. Changing the rules of our Democracy. Staff leaving before it all blows on a daily basis before they can be investigated? No CIA/FBI clearance of staff members of the White House? Cover-ups? Still employed? Lies about why they are unemployed now?

The swamp is being filled with Trump and his appointees, People.

Ivanka? Anything you'd like to comment on before next Friday?

Sucarichi Reboot?  Open eyes and pay attention to news DAILY as changes and news happens. Tolerance becomes acceptance. Abnormal becomes normal. Unprecedented becomes the new norm if we don't pay attention.

Make America SANE again.


Wednesday, January 24, 2018

When In Doubt, Travel.

Sounds too simple? It is.

My husband and I just returned from a trip that was sorely needed. We had been facing an unsure America, our aging, our future needs and wants, what would be available for us that was promised by our Government but is ever-changing on a daily basis, and an unsure future under the current political atmosphere. 

We put all that behind us and planned a vacation. We had to or go insane. 

I've found that getting away from your current surroundings is like a breath of fresh air. It allows you to drift from the ordinary days to one of curiosity, excitement, a newness clearing the mind and the spirit to come back and face it all again. It doesn't matter if the trip goes awry, if your luggage is lost, if Customer Service is rude, or where you went doesn't have your kind of toilet paper! (Yes, I've heard that complaint before.)

The idea here is to let yourself be free to explore another area, nearby or far away. But it must be different than your own daily life. It doesn't have to be for long. For instance, this was a 12 day trip and we covered exactly what we wanted to and whatever else we found interesting. It wasn't necessary to spend a month looking at everything and going everywhere in Europe. We had a flexible plan. And it was great! 

The negatives weren't 'negative' enough to completely absorb us, because you must have a selective memory of the negative or you will spend every moment of your time and money being miserable! And who wants that?

So, we covered Berlin, where my daughter lives and showed us around, Amsterdam, and Prague. The pictures I took do not do these cities justice. I know you always hear that. Perhaps some of them do, as I am obsessed with doors, windows, and floors wherever I go. I love old Churches and structures. I love nightlights of cities as workers head home or out for the evening. I love quirky posters, ads, or, even stickers on windows. I am that kind of person you see taking pictures of the local food because it will always be a good reminder of the place, the atmosphere, the servers or guests we met. Their faces will come to me and I'll smile later. We talk to everyone, especially drivers who see the city and its people the most. We ask questions they are usually able to answer about themselves, if we speak a little of their languages and they speak a little of ours. Sometimes it's an hilarious exchange and we all laugh, settling on a few English words that get the meaning across.

We returned with fresh eyes on our Country to the same crazy daily news and chaos but we know the entire world is not like this, right now. We have hope that lessons will be learned from the places we've visited, good and bad. We can look at our lives and say, it's not that bad. It's not great. But it's not so bad. In short, we can deal with whatever the world throws at us. When we feel jumpy again, we'll plan something else. Fortunately, it doesn't require a lot of money, just time and flexibility.

All in all, I arrange our travels, not on guided tours, but to be free to hop a train to another city or town, to wander crooked cobbled streets to find a restaurant a driver recommended, to see and hear about the history behind a building or bridge we find. For instance, Daughter took us to Templehof Field. The entire area was an airfield for German Nazi planes just behind the buildings they used. We walked through this giant area that is now used for entertainment, sports, walks, runs, picnics, dog-walking. It's used for joyful experiences. They have completely taken its past and brought it into a peaceful future. I can appreciate it because one must take that conscious action of changing the negative to a positive to truly live. The hate must become love. The irritation must become tolerance. The frustration must become patience. Any other reaction is wasting your precious time while you are here.





It reminds me of when my older brother was around 8 years old and I was 6. We'd get on a bus just to see where it went, all the way to the end of the line to the other. We didn't tell Mom about that until we were adults or she'd have been crazy with worry. We had a 'loose' plan but left room for what? We didn't know. But, even then, I knew we'd find it when we got there. It was called an adventure.

And, that, my friends, is Life.

Sucarichi Reboot Challenge? Head out to a new neighborhood, city, a tourist place in your own city, take a bus tour like  Hop-On Hop-Off of your own city, talk to people and find the best places to eat or to get coffee, ask about the neighborhood you are in. Maybe you'll hear some history if you ask an elderly person that's been there for a long time. You'll hear more interesting stories than if you were on a tour, I'll guarantee that! Live well, have fun, learn, connect with others.

I say again. This Life is not a dress rehearsal.