The Work Thread 2 - Get back to work!

[Choclet-Milk]

I work a four hour morning shift, and half the shift wanders off for a ten minute fag break whenever they please.

Yet if the non-smokers go for a loo break or to get a coffee from the machine, we get gooseberry fool for not being at our post!

[Bunni]

Part time smoker chiming in here. I don’t usually get a break, so will nip out every few hours if it’s settled enough. My staff get three breaks in a 12 hour shift, they smoke on their breaks. If it’s quiet they can sometimes nip out but I’ll tell the non smokers to go check their phones or get a cuppa or something to make it fair. If everyone can’t take 5 minutes, the smokers don’t get it either.

[Green Gecko]

Attended a sales seminar for young people and one guy basically got schooled repeatedly because he had "no expertise", following a few different jobs editing videos and completing a film degree years previously. He presents his business plan to a princes trust panel tomorrow and the guy giving the seminar basically told him "get a job you bum". This is not how you support people wanting to explore the possibility of starting a business and self-actualising.

What a colossal dick. My first ever paycheque was for freelance design work when I was 15; you absolutely can start a business off the back of an education or self-teaching, and whether you present as an "expert" is not only a matter of knowledge in a specific field (which an honours degree can give you, obviously further training is helpful but that is not a requirement to start a business in general) but presentation and sales skills, which can be learnt in a few months. Something we were supposed to cover but barely happened.

I'm so strawberry floating sick of 60+ something white men assuming you learn strawberry float all of use in a technical, practical BA degree, yet successful careerists in this subject have proved the total opposite by simply doing it anyway. I've met people who are now at pinewood studios, producers at the BBC, hollywood. They self actualise and do what they are passionate about, despite most middle aged boring ass goons telling them it's a waste of time and impossible. You go to college/uni for 6 years usually (minimum), you graduate and you start doing freelance gigs. Including my old boss who started his video company right out of university. That guy paid my rent 5 years later. Thankfully I spoke to the new guy for an hour and half after to reassure him this asshole was wrong and I have examples of why. He said if he hadn't thicker skin he'd be well put off by that and gone home feeling gooseberry fool about himself. It's even in his business plan to work part time to make ends meet and self-fund, which is perfectly sensible and diligent. I've worked in a video company and I can tell you as an editor you would learn absolutely nothing about sales or how to run a business. You have to try these things yourself or do an MBA or whatever. Or go to a seminar about sales technique?

What the strawberry float was this guy doing speaking to people so dismissively?

Jesus don't mentor young people's businesses if your first instinct is to tell someone, "you're worthless, get a job". I guess some volunteer training people are just that because they're awful teachers and themselves need experience teaching. An embarassment to pedagogy, nurturing and being a decent human being. Totally didactic and shouty, actually banging the table at one point. If I was told that and depressed enough I'd not only tell them to strawberry float off but probably be put off attending any kind of seminar to improve myself again! Or a lot worse. I felt like walking out I felt that bad for this guy. Tried to interject with what a film degree entailed (as this was a Q and A discussion format and not a lecture) but just got blanked. Training guy just omitted me completely when it came round to my turn to ask the measly two questions I had prepared and written on the board at facilitators suggestion and left. The facilitator who I think was monitoring the session wasn't there when thus happened. I think she would have mediated this gooseberry fool show somehow. It really felt like talk downy unwarranted parenting bullcrap.

Anyway I put in my feedback, "would you attend this again?", strawberry float no. I was told it was a pilot session. No gooseberry fool. Guy might as well told us to all give up and go home based on 5 minute introductions.

It's also not remotely ironic the trainer had been in his business (selling recycled plastic composite in "various forms" so what the hell does he know about film production?) for 6 years currently.. Almost the same as me. Just no respect for the people there, two of us have been at it 5+ years, gave the poor guy our card and we're sharing our enthusiasm and suggestions. The assumption young people have no knowledge or skills even in this day of the Internet and kids demonstrating university level skills at GCSEs etc. and twenty year old millionaires like Mark Zuckerberg is just embrassing.

But nah get a job mate, you're not cut out for this. Total bell end.

Has anyone else had total crap "training"/input like this? You just have to sit through it and get schooled by some guy pointing at a bad photocopy from a book some of us had already read?

Btw, the princes trust typically work with people who have lost their job, can't get one, or are disabled, poor or similar. They've fought through a lot of adversity and want to try starting a business to carve their own path. Just for some context. This isn't a "get real, shake up your life, tough love" sort of thing. It's an organisation that is supposed to actively foster, encourage and promote entrepreneurship.

[pjbetman]

I’ve mentioned this before when this topic came up but when my mate and I worked at the local pub, half the staff would take 5-10 minute cigarette breaks every hour, so he started taking crisp breaks and would go sit outside and slowly enjoy a packet of crisps

Haha. Kinda pretty much what happened at this place. I used to joke that I was going for ciggy break but without the ciggy. Used to be pretty funny a load of us just walking out for anything from 10 minutes to half an hour. The boss couldnt say strawberry float all becuase he was smoking 20 a day - and it was against company policy to smoke in work time. Couldnt be happier the place shut.

[pjbetman]

Attended a sales seminar for young people and one guy basically got schooled repeatedly because he had "no expertise", following a few different jobs editing videos and completing a film degree years previously. He presents his business plan to a princes trust panel tomorrow and the guy giving the seminar basically told him "get a job you bum". This is not how you support people wanting to explore the possibility of starting a business and self-actualising.

What a colossal dick. My first ever paycheque was for freelance design work when I was 15; you absolutely can start a business off the back of an education or self-teaching, and whether you present as an "expert" is not only a matter of knowledge in a specific field (which an honours degree can give you, obviously further training is helpful but that is not a requirement to start a business in general) but presentation and sales skills, which can be learnt in a few months. Something we were supposed to cover but barely happened.

I'm so strawberry floating sick of 60+ something white men assuming you learn strawberry float all of use in a technical, practical BA degree, yet successful careerists in this subject have proved the total opposite by simply doing it anyway. I've met people who are now at pinewood studios, producers at the BBC, hollywood. They self actualise and do what they are passionate about, despite most middle aged boring ass goons telling them it's a waste of time and impossible. You go to college/uni for 6 years usually (minimum), you graduate and you start doing freelance gigs. Including my old boss who started his video company right out of university. That guy paid my rent 5 years later. Thankfully I spoke to the new guy for an hour and half after to reassure him this asshole was wrong and I have examples of why. He said if he hadn't thicker skin he'd be well put off by that and gone home feeling gooseberry fool about himself. It's even in his business plan to work part time to make ends meet and self-fund, which is perfectly sensible and diligent. I've worked in a video company and I can tell you as an editor you would learn absolutely nothing about sales or how to run a business. You have to try these things yourself or do an MBA or whatever. Or go to a seminar about sales technique?

What the strawberry float was this guy doing speaking to people so dismissively?

Jesus don't mentor young people's businesses if your first instinct is to tell someone, "you're worthless, get a job". I guess some volunteer training people are just that because they're awful teachers and themselves need experience teaching. An embarassment to pedagogy, nurturing and being a decent human being. Totally didactic and shouty, actually banging the table at one point. If I was told that and depressed enough I'd not only tell them to strawberry float off but probably be put off attending any kind of seminar to improve myself again! Or a lot worse. I felt like walking out I felt that bad for this guy. Tried to interject with what a film degree entailed (as this was a Q and A discussion format and not a lecture) but just got blanked. Training guy just omitted me completely when it came round to my turn to ask the measly two questions I had prepared and written on the board at facilitators suggestion and left. The facilitator who I think was monitoring the session wasn't there when thus happened. I think she would have mediated this gooseberry fool show somehow. It really felt like talk downy unwarranted parenting bullcrap.

Anyway I put in my feedback, "would you attend this again?", strawberry float no. I was told it was a pilot session. No gooseberry fool. Guy might as well told us to all give up and go home based on 5 minute introductions.

It's also not remotely ironic the trainer had been in his business (selling recycled plastic composite in "various forms" so what the hell does he know about film production?) for 6 years currently.. Almost the same as me. Just no respect for the people there, two of us have been at it 5+ years, gave the poor guy our card and we're sharing our enthusiasm and suggestions. The assumption young people have no knowledge or skills even in this day of the Internet and kids demonstrating university level skills at GCSEs etc. and twenty year old millionaires like Mark Zuckerberg is just embrassing.

But nah get a job mate, you're not cut out for this. Total bell end.

Has anyone else had total crap "training"/input like this? You just have to sit through it and get schooled by some guy pointing at a bad photocopy from a book some of us had already read?

Btw, the princes trust typically work with people who have lost their job, can't get one, or are disabled, poor or similar. They've fought through a lot of adversity and want to try starting a business to carve their own path. Just for some context. This isn't a "get real, shake up your life, tough love" sort of thing. It's an organisation that is supposed to actively foster, encourage and promote entrepreneurship.

Sounds like a right horrible banana split. I'd press the issue a bit (i.e a lot) further if i seen that going on. I'd ruin the banana split.

[Green Gecko]

The funniest thing was when this new guy started discussing the pomodoro technique, as a suggestion for others to try (the session was half time management, half sales... For some reason, as if was titled "Sales Q&A with Mr X". In other words shoehorned in time management stuff which doesn't really have much to do with sales, although that said, my questions were "how many times should you follow up?", and "how to best deal with indecisive clients?", somewhat premeditating the whole focus on the session). Anyway, the trainer immediately cut him off before he'd finished and said, "That's technical stuff, let's not talk technical! Grumble grumble". Totally snuffed that valid contribution to the group which could have helped, for example, a young woman who sells cards and prints at home but struggles to focus.

I interjected as I have used the pomodoro technique in the past, said this was just a kitchen timer you set for 20 minutes and it can help some people go focus on a task by implementing bursts of work followed by short breaks. I got cut off as well.

There's nothing technical about the pomodoro technique. Why was this trainer so flummoxed about the concept of a literal miniature tomato tea timer. Had he actually listened he may have learnt something himself.

The arrogance on display was just upsetting. Sorry but I loathe teacher/trainer who are in it to say this is my experience and thus judge your worth. Not to share their experience but to tell you what you can and can't do. That is not their job to say, "you don't know enough [stuff] so don't even try". Their job is to provide answers to questions or tell of their experience, to impart knowledge and demonstrate skills. Not interview individuals (in public) for a position in their own business proposition. That's a different kettle of fish. Maybe I'm wrong, but definitely jarred with my attitude as a pragmatist. And my general interest in promoting the abilities of others, not focusing on their weaknesses. We can all learn how to address our weakness. I don't believe you must work under someone else's dogma to do that. This speaks of little to no confidence in the ability of (young) people to achieve, well, anything under their own initiative. Young people are all just empty vessels waiting to be filled up with whatever old lore from a superior adult.

The Q&A, discussion, seminar format or whatever you want to call it is supposed to be a higher level sort of education where people learn by sharing and criticism is actively encouraged. This fosters debate and critical thinking, potentially even sparks innovation and no ideas. There is mutual respect. Everyone has value to bring to the discussion. I don't think this trainer understood that at all.

I was 15 minutes early and struggle with time management. He was five minutes late and after being jokingly called out on this by the other staff present he said, "Yes that's because I'm punctual". No mate you arrived after literally everyone else, people just turned 30-35.

I guess this is one of these experiences I'll have to "get over" but it really made me want to make good and offer my own networking/support group. That's just how I respond to shitty work and ethics. When I see poor practice I want to demonstrate an alternative and I'll do it even if they never know. I've suggested it to the organiser so we'll see what they say as no such group currently exists and would have a lot of potential for stimulating referred business and sort of micro economics. We don't need these old twats to tell us to "just get a real job" for the millionth time (especially when we've already had several but, erm, unless you hadn't noticed, the economy is totally strawberry floated).

[Oblomov Boblomov]

Got the staff 7 a side football tournament tomorrow. I captained my team to victory last time round, so we'll be defending the trophy that has sat above my desk ever since .

Will genuinely be gutted if we lose it .

[Jenuall]

Got the staff 7 a side football tournament tomorrow. I captained my team to victory last time round, so we'll be defending the trophy that has sat above my desk ever since .

Will genuinely be gutted if we lose it .

Now we see why Oblo is so pro-Bradford Factor. He's been culling the physically weak from his team throughout the year so that his squad of master race employees can win the football tournament.

[Moggy]

Got the staff 7 a side football tournament tomorrow. I captained my team to victory last time round, so we'll be defending the trophy that has sat above my desk ever since .

Will genuinely be gutted if we lose it .

Now we see why Oblo is so pro-Bradford Factor. He's been culling the physically weak from his team throughout the year so that his squad of master race employees can win the football tournament.

It’s going to backfire badly though when his rival department deliberately injure Ob’s team. Not only will they have to retire from the tournament, but their Bradford Scores are going to skyrocket.

[Jenuall]

Got the staff 7 a side football tournament tomorrow. I captained my team to victory last time round, so we'll be defending the trophy that has sat above my desk ever since .

Will genuinely be gutted if we lose it .

Now we see why Oblo is so pro-Bradford Factor. He's been culling the physically weak from his team throughout the year so that his squad of master race employees can win the football tournament.

It’s going to backfire badly though when his rival department deliberately injure Ob’s team. Not only will they have to retire from the tournament, but their Bradford Scores are going to skyrocket.

When the Bradford Factor comes back to bite Ob - hoist by his own petard!

[Rax]

Ive offically made my first hiring decision and theyve accepted the offer. Kinda shitting myself cos if they turn out to be crap it looks bad on me. Hopefully it all works out though!

[<]:^D]

just accepted a new job offer from some weirdo - hope hes not my boss but the company and the rest of the office seem nice so looking forwards to first day!

[Tomous]

Ive offically made my first hiring decision and theyve accepted the offer. Kinda shitting myself cos if they turn out to be crap it looks bad on me. Hopefully it all works out though!

First person I was ever directly behind hiring we then went on to fire before the end of his probation period due to insubordination, lying, and making female members of staff feel uncomfortable. Nailed it.

[Jenuall]

Ive offically made my first hiring decision and theyve accepted the offer. Kinda shitting myself cos if they turn out to be crap it looks bad on me. Hopefully it all works out though!

First person I was ever directly behind hiring we then went on to fire before the end of his probation period due to insubordination, lying, and making female members of staff feel uncomfortable. Nailed it.

I've generally been on the flip side of Rax's situation here - I went through a phase of doing a lot of interviews for candidates at work and whenever I would pass on to the "powers that be" that I thought the candidate was not good enough and we should pass on them I would then inevitably turn up working for us a few weeks later!

[Oblomov Boblomov]

Got the staff 7 a side football tournament tomorrow. I captained my team to victory last time round, so we'll be defending the trophy that has sat above my desk ever since .

Will genuinely be gutted if we lose it .

Now we see why Oblo is so pro-Bradford Factor. He's been culling the physically weak from his team throughout the year so that his squad of master race employees can win the football tournament.

It’s going to backfire badly though when his rival department deliberately injure Ob’s team. Not only will they have to retire from the tournament, but their Bradford Scores are going to skyrocket.

When the Bradford Factor comes back to bite Ob - hoist by his own petard!

strawberry float sake, lost in the semi-final .

One of the team had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance I'm going to have to take him to a disciplinary for absence.

[Drumstick]

Just found out that I passed my project management qualification.

[Squinty]

Customer - I'm just phoning you to give you some new details.

Me - No problem. What are the details?

Customer - Oh I don't have them now, hold on I'll get them for you (cue 3-5 minutes of rummaging around wasting my time).

This gooseberry fool. strawberry floating hell man. Happens multiple times a day.

[Moggy]

Customer - I'm just phoning you to give you some new details.

Me - No problem. What are the details?

Customer - Oh I don't have them now, hold on I'll get them for you (cue 3-5 minutes of rummaging around wasting my time).

This gooseberry fool. strawberry floating hell man. Happens multiple times a day.

Yeah that happens to me all the time. So bloody annoying.

[Drumstick]

Move to a non-customer facing role if you don't want to speak to customers. That's what I did.

[ITSMILNER]

Just found out that I passed my project management qualification.

Well done Drum!