A Little Thought About Urgency
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (78761)
United States
October 26, 2022 5:47am CST
I don't generally hold grudges. But I do remember things, and firmly believe that "actions have consequences." At work there have been several things that have happened that have served to shape, quite a bit, what they get from me these days.
Hey, it is not like I am not fair. You still get three chances to do right by me. After that, all bets are off and getting me back is going to prove to be quite the challenge.
We have inventory this week and I quipped yesterday, "Man, lots still to do here before Thursday."
Boss said, "Yeah, we're a bit behind this year."
I snickered inside a little bit on that. Why? Because last year I made a strong effort to come in early several days during the week and started counting many of the bins and getting them tagged up for entering the counts into "the book" on inventory day.
The boss did not appreciate my effort, and literally pulled my post-it notes off the bins and basically told me "eff you."
Thus, this year my participation in the "inventory process" is quite restrained and I am not going to go out of my way at all to be as helpful as I have been in the past.
Again, actions have consequences.
It is not to wield power or even to necessarily get back at anyone. It is simply to say "don't complain to me about urgency only when you feel there is an urgency."
At the same time, don't you dare complain about my current pace—you defined the terms.
It will get done. It always does. But I certainly feel much less personal urgency after that stunt last year to feel as much urgency this year as I did last year, and that's not on me.
Thing is, when someone turns an honest effort by me into something negative, it changes my perspective on how much my effort is worth to someone, and changes the effort I am then willing to provide thereafter.
Sure, the boss is the boss. He gets to call the shots. But his shots also define the results and future outcomes.
We laugh about what happened. It is kind of funny after the fact, seeing all those post-it notes wasted to the floor. But in the end? I get the last laugh. 
16 people like this
13 responses
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
26 Oct 22
I've always loved this sign and had it on the back of my clipboard at Walmart. 
Image is not mine.
Image is not mine.4 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8540)
• United Kingdom
26 Oct 22
I think I could use that sign for our so-called management!
I don't blame you for doing what you're doing. It's the same where I work - efforts go unnoticed. If they are noticed, it's a half-hearted 'well done' for the few of us left who haven't moved on or had a nervous breakdown then expectations that the extra effort will continue. I admit, though, a few of us are of your mindset and are not doing as much as we have been - which is fun watching managers trying to scramble to get more staff because the 4 of us are no longer willing to do the job of 20!
3 people like this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
26 Oct 22
@DaddyEvil This has been a tenet of my life and the saying is absolutely true. I follow that rule religiously. lol
2 people like this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
27 Oct 22
@just4him I actually find this to be a fascinating idea, even starting a special YouTube channel or something. There are several RVers on there right now making an interesting living just chronicling their experiences.
I'd want to build an audience first, though, and be able to monetize it. Maybe I should do it.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (156157)
• United States
26 Oct 22
I don't blame you and agree 100%. I hold long and strong grudges so I get it.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (156157)
• United States
29 Oct 22
@porwest I have issues with my SIL; and it was hard to be civil to her while she was here.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
3 Nov 22
@LindaOHio I can imagine. There are many members of my family I have sort of "written off."
1 person likes this
@Nakitakona (56302)
• Philippines
1 Dec 22
Do what is expected from you. Be happy when you're appreciated. If not, just follow the rule. Doing an extra mile is valueless forget it. That's my opinion.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
6 Dec 22
@Nakitakona This is very true of me. I will give all of me when it is earned, but only portions of me when it is not. Despite my antics, I am quite a fair guy. But you definitely get what you pay for, and I decide my personal value. Not the boss.
1 person likes this
@Nakitakona (56302)
• Philippines
5 Dec 22
@porwest I know that you know what's right and what's wrong. Be prudent. I am sure you are.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (13320)
• Hong Kong
26 Oct 22
It appears that your boss is good at demotivating staff.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
26 Oct 22
@Beestring I would not say that. But there ARE things he does that DO influence me to take a different direction that he would prefer, and frankly that I would prefer.
Everyone has rules, and I am no exception, and I follow mine for sure. lol
1 person likes this
@Beestring (13320)
• Hong Kong
26 Oct 22
@porwest Apparently, he is not doing a good job.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215441)
• Chile
26 Oct 22
I think that in anything in life, people should be rewarded in some way if they do better than what is expected of them. I don´t mean to cheer them with shouts, but a warm "thank you" sometimes suffices.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
27 Oct 22
I definitely agree. Hard work and performance should always have a reward. And that is the one thing this company does not do. The last pay raise I got was two years ago, and that one came four years apart. To me, that's not investing in employees, and even though I still make more money every year due to increasing my sales, that's not coming from the company. That's coming from me. It does reflect in what I choose to do outside of advancing my sales.
@Marilynda1225 (79731)
• United States
26 Oct 22
I can certainly understand how you feel and I probably would do the same thing.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43077)
• Staten Island, New York
26 Oct 22
What the boss says is not always the best thing to do. And if you try to be helpful but it's not acknowledged or appreciated then what's the point of doing it? Unless you get satisfaction out of it.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43077)
• Staten Island, New York
5 Dec 22
@porwest that it does not.
1 person likes this
@BloggerDi (3113)
• United States
26 Oct 22
I don't blame you at all. Your response to your boss's lack of appreciation is completely justified. Employees with such a great work ethic are not common.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
27 Oct 22
It is like when the boss said I did not have three weeks of vacation, even though I have been with the company for eight years. Believe me, he is mistaken. I will get that extra week come hell or high water no questions asked—I have my ways, trust me. And it will cost him far more than what it would have cost him to just let me have it.
On the flip side, the company does not keep good track of vacation time, so, so long as I don't mention the amount of time I have actually taken in a given year, they won't know because they don't pay good enough attention.
Despite what they or he believes, my vacation time is not negotiable.
1 person likes this
@Inplay123 (119)
• Nairobi, Kenya
28 Oct 22
This culture is almost across. Motivated employees are demotivated when their efforts aren't noticed.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
28 Oct 22
It certainly plays a role, and more bosses should heed the reality that more often than not, the employees are the ones who ultimately call the shots.
Like I said to one manager once, "Screw us over all you want. We can go slow and make it look like we're not doing it on purpose."
I don't think he got it. Production numbers fell and he was fired for lack of performance.
