I wrote the previous post almost a week ago, let it sit, then finally posted it. When I went to work this morning, a miracle or two occurred: the mood was decidedly different–for the much better. My coworkers showed up on time, worked hard, helped me and each other, and even laughed with me. My managers and I also seemed to have landed on all the same pages today, with “thank you” and “appreciate all your input” being the theme. Wow.
Perfect? No. What workplace is?
Money still terrible? Yes, but I can deal with that with a lot more patience when the work environment is positive and everyone is at least cordial and respectful.
Am I looking for another job? Only a part-time second one. I am determined to make this crazy place work out. Perhaps we all needed that terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day to wake up and try a little harder to understand each other a little more.
Here’s to hoping it continues.
Comments
6 responses to “Pigs Fly and Frisbees Do Walk”
Because everyone has bad days… even in Australia… and Montana and D.C. and everywhere else. 😉 RG, you are so incredibly strong, and I can’t help thinking that there’s something fabulous in store for you. Especially since you have such exquisite taste in children’s literature!!!
It’s sad that so many good employees get so pissed off, that they do one of two things. They either disappear, or they become management to deal with the situation. When they do the former, everyone suffers. When they do the latter, only they suffer. It takes more than one person who cares to turn around a joint.
If the manager needs you to write up lists of what needs to be done then they are not acting as management, you are. You are so much better then where you are right now. Here’s to you finding a place that you can shine at.
Jennifer–Thanks. As for something fabulous in store, a nice jackpot win at the Hard Rock works for me as a short-term fix. 🙂
Ex-RM–Very well put. I have no interest in restaurant management unless I own the place. No, I will give credit, however, that my meltdown may have opened some eyes. It certainly opened mine that I could get pushed to that point. But that’s my issue, and I simply need to chill and let go.
AC–We have so many layers of managers at my place because we have so many shifts and eateries. The big boss is relatively new, so I was not surprised, and was actually encouraged, that he asked for such input from me. A.M. servers, and the a.m. shift in general, is usually the forgotten stepchild. We’ll see. I’m hopeful some changes are already occurring, and I vow to lighten up on myself and keep communication open.
Hope things get better. I hear it’s nice in New Zealand, even if it is snowing this week.
It’s too bad that you had to threaten to quit to get changes to happen … but it’s good that once you did, changes did happen. Sometimes management just shrugs, and then the next good person to get caught in the trap wonders why things are as bad as they are.
Of course it doesn’t mean that things won’t cause you to get that frustrated again in a week or a month or a year, but we can always hope …