See, This is Why I Quit! (Probably lame)

The BBQ Pit
1

Maybe I’m being a little overly sensitive, I don’t know. I put up with crap for 4 years from one of the partners of my former company because of his lazy, selfish, non-confrontational ass. So, I do a little work for them out of pity. Really. But it’s getting phased out, so I can finally be completely free of them. Every time I do a little work for them, I’m reminded of why I quit.

Here’s the latest exchange. Inquiry from the above partner about doing some work for them, how much time, when am I available. I give my little spiel and end my email with: “Please, no earlier than 9 am.” I sleep terrible and prefer, if I have the choice, to not get up before 8.

So I hear back from him: “So how about this Friday? 8:30? 9:00?”

Did you read my email? I blow it off. I’ve been known to miss a detail or two in an email myself. I just send a reply something like: “9 would be fine. So, the ‘student’ will be there at 11?” (I gave myself 2 prep hours before the person I’m training shows up, because I’ve been out of the loop for a while). I didn’t mean to be trivial, BUT this guy just has a reputation of not doing what is asked, so I have to confirm details with him.

He replies: “Something like that, yes.”

Grr. Something like what? Should I expect the person there at 11? Or am I going to be suprised when this person also shows up at 9?

This is the latest example of 4 years with this person, with so many conversations like this. I replied something like, “I’m not sure what you mean by that, can you clarify?” But I shouldn’t have to. A simple yes would have done. Or an “Oh, I told him to come at 9.” But I really don’t know what he means…he could mean because this guy is supposedly an ASP god and I’m supposed to teach him something. (Not about ASP, but about the structure of a web app that I worked with so he can modify it.)

Anyhoo, that’s my lame rant…just getting it out. 4 years of frustration, and I haven’t ranted as much as this. No wonder my blood pressure was high. Of course, it’s lower now.

Thanks for listening.

2

I feel your pain. A schedule is a house of cards. Trust me, it will do no good whatsoever to clarify anything with your Phlegmatic partner. Phlegs don’t get it. Even if you responded by saying, “Okay, I’ll do something like train someone sometime on that day or some similar day somewhere around here or someplace else.” He would see it as a confirmation. Next time, seek out your own kind. You need a workplace with a Meloncholy in charge.

3

Hehe. So Liberal, is Phlegmatic based on some book about workplace personalities or did you make that up? Luckily, I had 3 other partners that, although not without their quirks, made the job more bearable…and they supported me when I decided I didn’t want to report directly to the “Phlegmatic.”

Follow up-he responded: “I will tell him to come at 11.” I got my answer, like extracting so many teeth.

4

I guess it is. I found a website .

5

The Humours and their molding of personalities comprise an ancient medieval way of viewing human nature. Lib (being a Melancholy) finds them very much on target; I (being a Sanguine with a slight admixture of Phlegmatic) tend to look at them in the same way as Meyers-Briggs (I’m a DBMB, by the way – “Don’t buy Meyers-Briggs” ;))

6

I’m assuming Liberal thinks I’m a Melancholy partially because of my rant and partially because of my user name. My user name’s not really apt, though. It’s more like Heart Up My Sleeve.

Looking at that test, I think I took it at one time and checked off almost all of them because I thought it was kind of stupid. I got called back for a second interview…not sure what that means. I have done the one where I came out an INTP (is that Bristol-Meyers?). Who knows, though? We’re all just “us”.

7

It is lucky for you lesser humors that we Melancholies carry upon our shoulders the weight of the whole world. And how often do you thank us? Were it not for our vigilant anxiety and apprehension, space-time would rip apart and every horrible nightmare would come to pass. Remember that it is for your benefit that we arrange our coffee cups in perfect hexagonal patterns with handles exactly 30 degrees from perpendicular. If we didn’t, who would?