Corporate Nonsense

Several years ago when I was a manager working for a government fascilities management contractor, I wrote a post about it on this blog and thought no more about it. However, my bosses got hold of it and before I knew it I was called into the office and taken to task over it. As I was in danger of being sacked, I reluctantly agreed to take it down, along with another post about the outlandish behaviour and rudeness to me of one of my management colleagues. I never named him and I didn't name the company I was working for. Even so, best to be on the safe side! 

I have now been retired for eight years, so I'll write what the hell I like and it won't get taken down, not by me anyway. Apart from the post about my colleague, I was really taking a pop at the utter waste of time of management meetings, at least the type which we were having then. I was a manager of a media department and this particular meeting was with the contract manager and all the other departmental managers. I sat there for about 2 or so hours hearing other managers going on about their issues which had absolutely nothing to do with me. Why should it be a concern of mine if the admin manager was having an issue with getting mats for the swimming pool - for instance. These meetings happened regularly and acheived nothing. It was just another tick in the box for the benefit of the contract manager and it looked good on his monthly report to the contract monitoring team. Some time later at another meeting I fell to sleep  - I just couldn't stay awake. We were in a hot stuffy room, and at the time the supply manager was droning on about something he could no doubt have sorted out  by a quick email or phone call to his manager. My own very caring boss (not) insisted afterwards that I had to email everyone present at the meeting and apologise for my indiscretion. I doubt whether he would have done the same if it had been the other way around.

Eventually, when I was really getting to the end of my tether with the job, and there were a variety of reasons for this, I sat and took stock of what I actually did which was useful and constructive. I also took stock of the way certain staff were making my life a misery. I dreaded Monday mornings coming around. At least two of my staff were complete psychos and didn't give a momkey's stuff about what the effects of their actions were having on me, or anyone else for that matter. I had tried doing useful and constructive things to benefit and take the department forward, but my own boss, gave me zero support. I had been very enthusiastic and keen when I was originally promoted to the position, but in the end it was all just drained and sucked out of me. I decided that it was all  pointless, and not worth the hassle, so I decided on a time scale after which I would hand in my notice. From making the decision and leaving, I just did what I absolutely had to and no more. I took a book into work and just sat in the privacy of my office reading  most of the time. I always felt the job was vacuous, and this point was proved when the company never bothered to replace me after I had left, though they were a really tight-arsed company and would do anything to save a penny.

Since I have retired, I have never missed it for one second. I still have friends who are even today working there, but my life has been much richer, happier and varied for leaving. I am never stuck for anything to do, and I am working voluntarily in a number of activities with people who actually appreciate "what I bring to the table" so to corporate speak!