My Job Sucks Because

A job only ever sucks because of people. I don't think you can genuinely hate a job enough because it's stupid or too glamourous or whatever lame reason anyone can think of, because there are always trade offs. You get a fun job, you get paid less. You get a high-paying job, you better slog it out to get there and/or stay there. Jobs generally even out in terms of pros and cons.

It might seem like I'm just pulling out another one of the things from my people-loathing repertoire, but I really think that if anything ever tips the balance about how bad a job can be, it's the people.

No one can make a job you're doing suck more than the people you have to work with to get your work done (I'm talking about bosses and colleagues, not customers here. Customers are part of the work, and as I will explain later, are to be bravely dealt with). And nothing can make you feel like your job is crappy as much as people around you can. We're all wired to count our blessings or we're all doomed to depression, so we're very well capable of deluding ourselves that our jobs are perfect. So what gives? People around telling you your job is shit or making your job shit, that's what.

So, as I was telling a colleague of mine, if you're quitting your job because of the people, or because of one boss who can't wipe his ass cleanly enough so you'll have to help him too, it's not a spoilt or prissy thing to do. To quit a job because of the work might very well be ungrounded, floaty and wussy because it means you can't take the work you've set out to do, and if the work didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, why wasn't a more informed decision made before you decided to do take it up? That's the gay part of quitting. But leaving because you can't put up with stupid people - now that's more like it.




Oh, you hate your job? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar.
- Drew Carey

What, You Think She's Actually Hot?

Ever thought a colleague or some remote person you've seen around in the office, whom you'd usually rate as a sub-par potential romantic candidate in normal circumstances, was 'interesting'? That's just another way of saying that the person is actually attractive enough to you.

I think it could be an argument, and evidence if proven, in favour of biological processes at work when we think of the science of love. It is hard to think of any other reason why you'd consider a 6/10 person at work fascinating when you could easily find more attractive people on the train.

The reason why we end up making such irrational considerations, especially those who are not already attached, is that we are always seeking for potential mates. Because being in the office poses numerous issues, such as the lack of other potentials as well as the close proximity leading to possibly increased contact with that person, our innate need to seek a mate alters our psychology to convince ourselves that these other office people are potential material even though we typically would not think of them as so.

Because we can have a higher chance of getting to know a colleague or remote office person better compared to the good-looker on the train, a switch gets flicked in the head, inducing us to gain interest and perhaps encourage us to make a move. This could all just be biologically tailored to increase one's chances of getting a mate.

Word

Any smart manager who has to both chart the course and navigate through the mire would do well to consolidate a decent amount of social favours before attempting to crash headfirst into doing both. It would be vital to build personal relations with the team you are managing so that they actually see you as one of them.

Otherwise, it will be very easy for them to go against you when the going gets tough because you're simply posing as a big-ass scapegoat, straw dog target. Human nature is such that people band together when unhappy, and even more particularly so when ladies are involved.

Being seen as a member of the team gives you leverage and bargaining power and also makes your workers feel like they're attacking the group - and as a direct result, themselves - when they do intend to return a word of recalcitrance to you after you dump them a truckload of assignments to do.

At any rate, even if someone decides to run his or her mouth at lunch time about what a shitty boss you are, with enough goodwill around, there will be others at the lunch table who would stand up for you too. It is futile to hope that your plans will always work out and that everyone sailing along with you will stay happy.


Anyone seen the new Berocca advert? The one about the office being a jungle, therefore one must take Berocca to stay sharp and alert.

I think the ad is brilliant. It goes on to explain the role of the office vulture, office fox, office snake and office rat and what one must look out for when dealing with them. The concept is familiar, extremely true and very much unexplored other than existing in the vague vestiges of bitching and complaining around the matter but not about it.

You can almost sense the mental nods of approval when walking amongst the crowd that passes by these outdoor advertisements strategically placed in city-area MRT stations and, I'll bet, the CBD.