Don't let any of the Stupid get on you.
Wulf has a wonderful job performing maintenance in a huge convention center. It is, in many ways, the best job Wulf has ever had. The pay is meager, yet sufficient for Wulf's needs. The benefits are good. The job is as utterly stressless as a job can be; Wulf has no desk, no phone, no computer, with only a walkie-talkie to interrupt Wulf's work. Wulf walks a minimum of five miles per shift, so it is like getting paid to exercise. Wulf has lost seventeen pounds since taking this job. There is different work to do everyday, satisfying, hands-on work, so the job doesn't get boring. There are often fascinating events going on, garden shows, boat shows, medical trade shows, lavish weddings, interesting speakers ranging from politicians to authors to actors, entertainment that ranges from martial arts exhibitions to nationally known musicians and singers. Best of all, Wulf gets to eat at the employee mess of the adjoining hotel, a chef-cooked, hotplate meal with full salad bar, for $2. Wulf doesn't even have to clock out. Yes, Wulf gets paid to eat his epicurean $2 meal, and he still loses weight!
Naturally, the Universe must extract a karmic balance for all this largess. For Wulf, the balance is having The Worst Supervisor Ever. Now, complaining about management is a time-honored tradition enjoyed in every workplace, so you, Gentle Reader, have, no doubt, immediately begun to question this rather bold assertion, hauling buckets of countering evidence from your own deep well of personal experience. Fair enough, but hear Wulf out.
The Worst Supervisor Ever (TWSE) is a walking stereotype of bad management. Everyone who works for or around the man despises him. Wulf, as with all not in upper management, regard TWSE as unprofessional, incompetent, unintelligent, and dishonest. As an example of TWSE's, ah, abilities, consider that he routinely schedules Wulf to work all three shifts over the course of a week. Wulf can never establish a sleep cycle, and is condemned to live with permanent jet lag. When Wulf has spoken to TWSE about this, his comments have ranged from "Huh" to "It builds character." This is the manner in which TWSE conducts all his duties with underlings and coworkers.
TWSE has only two known talents. One is to call contractors to perform work which his own employees could have done more cheaply, if they but had the proper supplies, appropriate tools, and decent scheduling. The other is to kiss, deeply, lovingly, passionately, the posteriors of TWSE's own bosses, who seem inexplicably blind and/or uncaring as to the demoralization of their workforce and the poor allocation of resources.
Poor, foolish Wulf thought things could only get better, until last week, when the Stupid reached tsunami levels. You, Gentle Reader, may lose intelligence just reading about it, for which Wulf apologizes in advance, yet the public must be warned.
Wulf was repairing a water fountain when a call from the Manager On Duty (MOD) came over the radio about flickering lights in the hall where a convocation of powerful, influential bankers were gathered waiting to hear the Governor of Arkansas speak. Wulf rushed to the hall, observed some intermittently flickering lights, then hurried upstairs to shut off the breakers for those particular lights. There are many lights in the hall, so the absence of a few would be of little consequence, whereas the flickering lights would have made my employers look as if they were running some shabby, third-world operation. Wulf returned to repairing the water fountain.
Again the MOD sent out a call that more lights were flickering in the hall. Wulf again rushed to the hall. At this point, the Governor of Arkansas was standing just outside the hall, preparing to address the convocation of powerful, influential bankers. The MOD was looking a tad frantic. Wulf observed some more flickering lights, which inconveniently stopped flickering just after Wulf observed which lights were problematic. With all haste, Wulf again started upstairs. On the way, Wulf encountered TWSE, who asked Wulf what Wulf was doing. Wulf briefly explained. TWSE instructed Wulf to go back to working on the water fountain. Wulf countered that Wulf had instructions from the MOD, who outranks TWSE. Wulf continued upstairs, shut off the offending lights, then completed repairs on the water fountain.
Half an hour later, Wulf gets called before TWSE and the Director, TWSE's boss, and was informed, in no uncertain terms, that Wulf should have obeyed TWSE instead of the MOD. Keep in mind, Gentle Reader, the choice that was before Wulf:
A - Save Wulf's employer from looking bad in front of the Governor of Arkansas and a convocation of powerful, influential bankers.
B - Repair a water fountain ten minutes sooner than it otherwise would have been repaired.
Exactly two people on the entire planet could have gotten this call wrong. Astonishingly, Wulf works for both of them.
Okay, Gentle Reader, your turn.
Naturally, the Universe must extract a karmic balance for all this largess. For Wulf, the balance is having The Worst Supervisor Ever. Now, complaining about management is a time-honored tradition enjoyed in every workplace, so you, Gentle Reader, have, no doubt, immediately begun to question this rather bold assertion, hauling buckets of countering evidence from your own deep well of personal experience. Fair enough, but hear Wulf out.
The Worst Supervisor Ever (TWSE) is a walking stereotype of bad management. Everyone who works for or around the man despises him. Wulf, as with all not in upper management, regard TWSE as unprofessional, incompetent, unintelligent, and dishonest. As an example of TWSE's, ah, abilities, consider that he routinely schedules Wulf to work all three shifts over the course of a week. Wulf can never establish a sleep cycle, and is condemned to live with permanent jet lag. When Wulf has spoken to TWSE about this, his comments have ranged from "Huh" to "It builds character." This is the manner in which TWSE conducts all his duties with underlings and coworkers.
TWSE has only two known talents. One is to call contractors to perform work which his own employees could have done more cheaply, if they but had the proper supplies, appropriate tools, and decent scheduling. The other is to kiss, deeply, lovingly, passionately, the posteriors of TWSE's own bosses, who seem inexplicably blind and/or uncaring as to the demoralization of their workforce and the poor allocation of resources.
Poor, foolish Wulf thought things could only get better, until last week, when the Stupid reached tsunami levels. You, Gentle Reader, may lose intelligence just reading about it, for which Wulf apologizes in advance, yet the public must be warned.
Wulf was repairing a water fountain when a call from the Manager On Duty (MOD) came over the radio about flickering lights in the hall where a convocation of powerful, influential bankers were gathered waiting to hear the Governor of Arkansas speak. Wulf rushed to the hall, observed some intermittently flickering lights, then hurried upstairs to shut off the breakers for those particular lights. There are many lights in the hall, so the absence of a few would be of little consequence, whereas the flickering lights would have made my employers look as if they were running some shabby, third-world operation. Wulf returned to repairing the water fountain.
Again the MOD sent out a call that more lights were flickering in the hall. Wulf again rushed to the hall. At this point, the Governor of Arkansas was standing just outside the hall, preparing to address the convocation of powerful, influential bankers. The MOD was looking a tad frantic. Wulf observed some more flickering lights, which inconveniently stopped flickering just after Wulf observed which lights were problematic. With all haste, Wulf again started upstairs. On the way, Wulf encountered TWSE, who asked Wulf what Wulf was doing. Wulf briefly explained. TWSE instructed Wulf to go back to working on the water fountain. Wulf countered that Wulf had instructions from the MOD, who outranks TWSE. Wulf continued upstairs, shut off the offending lights, then completed repairs on the water fountain.
Half an hour later, Wulf gets called before TWSE and the Director, TWSE's boss, and was informed, in no uncertain terms, that Wulf should have obeyed TWSE instead of the MOD. Keep in mind, Gentle Reader, the choice that was before Wulf:
A - Save Wulf's employer from looking bad in front of the Governor of Arkansas and a convocation of powerful, influential bankers.
B - Repair a water fountain ten minutes sooner than it otherwise would have been repaired.
Exactly two people on the entire planet could have gotten this call wrong. Astonishingly, Wulf works for both of them.
Okay, Gentle Reader, your turn.