Friday, March 16, 2007

SuckerPunch


NC-17 today. Sorry.

Wow.

I really didn't see it coming. But come it did and I'm still kinda reeling. Shawn keeps dropping little hints and others have tried to warn me - but part of being the big middle finger is not listening well.

Well. Now I pay...

Again. For some reason - I make people in power hate me. It can't all be smart assed comments.

Can it?

Yesterday - we had a big conference call with the Shanghai office where - effectively - I was Shanghai'd. The head of the office there spent a good 20 minutes explaining line by line why he thought I was an idiot.

I was suprised 20 minutes was all he had... my wife could've added more...

I was on my new zen phase where I just didn't really respond. Besides - it was like 5 am. Great way to start the day. And it continued throughout.

This was his way to get the power. By thinking he could destroy me in the eyes of the company - he will be made stronger. Well - maybe. He was told to keep his nose out of production cause I was in charge. Yeah! But I was told I better not screw up cause then he would be right and I would be done. Boo!

I've been doing this a long time - and usually my work speaks for itself - except when my work sucks - and then it speaks for someone else... :) But I feel good about what I'm doing here - or at least I did.

He really spent a lot of time telling lies. Big ones. But since I didn't jump in to call him an idiot - he got center stage.

I guess I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

Sigh.

I thought I would not fight back and that would help - but not sure that it did.

I'll take a page out of Shawn's book and threaten to quit.

Now everyone is supportive of me in SF and think the guy in Shanghai is a tool.
But there is that twinkle of doubt.
And I can smell it.
It smells like peppermint....

Sigh.

Time to go back to being the middle finger.

You were warned.

4 Comments:

Blogger glassblowerscat said...

I'm starting to get very curious about Middle Finger Greg. I've never met him, but he sounds quite fun. Not to interact with, but to watch in action ...

2:48 AM

 
Blogger onechrisjones said...

Who the hell would want to work the business, man... It always sounds like it sucks. and then if you make it big, you get to move to sparkling clean LA, where neighbors flock to your door with chocolate chip cookies and jello-molds... Sounds like the life. I hear their school system rocks too.
Whatev, man... We are thinking about you! glassblowjob'scat is right,though... seeing this famous middle finger greg would be almost as funny as 30rock and a simon v. seacrest celebrity deathmatch.
Love.

8:14 AM

 
Blogger japhy99 said...

It's the middle way, my friend.

It's not just screaming back or keeping quiet.

It's not just the middle finger or the limp dead hand.

Middle way.

Finger partially raised, so you can claim you're just scratching your cheek and don't get fired for insubordination -- but there's still enough of the middle finger there to let your position be known.

Stay Zen.

11:57 AM

 
Blogger Shawn said...

Rule #5: So much depends on your reputation...Guard it with your life.

Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. The stand aside and let public opinion hang them.

***

i hate it that politics plays such a part in any process (yes - even church). but it's a fact of life.

here's an execerpt from my latest corporate battle (names changed to protect me).

***

Shawn, don't understand the commentary??
As we'll go over shortly on our scheduled meeting--Post our internal engineering design meeting, Greg is finishing up his final tasks where he was filling in and Rick is immediately taking over all international tasks. He will have all the necessary resources in order to come up to speed.

Ben.

Benjamin J
Manager, DOR Project Engineering

-----Original Message-----
From: Victa, Shawn
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 1:02 PM
To: Ben; Richard
Cc: Christine
Subject: RE: Santry: Engineering info needed

It's unfortunate for rick to be put in this position. But it's your guys.

Rick - I will forward the list of questions to you in a bit.

Need written technical answers on it for *** to submit by end of day Friday.


...sent from my handheld...

-----Original Message-----
From: ***, Ben
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 12:47 PM Eastern Standard Time
To: Victa, Shawn; ***, Richard
Cc: B***, Christine - ***
Subject: RE: Santry: Engineering info needed

Rick is the designer for international, get with him--if he needs help he will ask the appropriate questions. Ben.

Benjamin J ***
Manager, DOR Project Engineering

-----Original Message-----
From: Victa, Shawn
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 12:41 PM
To: ***, Ben; ***, Richard
Cc: ***, Christine ***
Subject: RE: Santry: Engineering info needed
Importance: High

Ben...i sat on the conference call yesterday.

They want engineering to combine all this info into one document.

If you have this info already - please put it to one engineering info I can submit to Santy by EOB friday.

Thanks ahead of time.


...sent from my handheld...

-----Original Message-----
From: ***, Ben
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 12:35 PM Eastern Standard Time
To: Victa, Shawn; ***, Richard
Subject: FW: Santry: Engineering info needed

Shawn,

You need to get with Rick for answers to these questions, however with the exception of one item you have been provided with this info previously.

Ben



Benjamin J ***
Manager, DOR Project Engineering


________________________________

From: Victa, Shawn
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 11:48 AM
To: ***, Ben
Cc: ***, Christine - ***; ***, Kirk
Subject: Santry: Engineering info needed
Importance: High





Ben,



I need your help so that Santry does not continue telling management that the Technical Responses from DOR *** are untimely.

This email was circulated last week…We have another conference call later today with them and all the action items assigned to us are still outstanding.

I’ve answered the questions I can to minimize responses needed.



Here are the remaining action items…Items in Red I need answers before 2 PM so I can forward to Joe Grant



Tasks to Complete

***

Needless to say --- He called me up once the emails got out of hand to say - "Stop fucking copying everyone about what I'm supposed to do ---- you're not my boss!!!"

I responded by saying "Start doing your job - and I'll leave you the F*** alone..."

After 30 minutes more of back and forth...his boss came in, told him to shut up - and to give me the info.

:)

12:07 PM

 

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