The Tie

Yesterday at church one of my friends complimented my tie. It is one of my favorite ties and I wear it most of the time. But what he didn't know if that this particular tie has a long-lived secret.

This pinkish tie is about eighteen years old. This is one of my few surviving mission ties that went to New York with me. This is the same tie that I wore home on the plane from New York. In fact, I was being a real bad missionary because I wore this tie home. Our Mission President (again, this is the guy that I didn't see eye-to-eye with) came up with this idea that all missionaries should wear the same tie in an effort to promote unity amongst us. While I do like and understand the idea, the way it was presented was what I disagreed with. When I left the mission I gave my identical tie to one of my closest friends and wore this tie home. My Mission President was not thrilled at all that I decided this and made sure that I was hidden in all the last pictures that were taken before I took off. He made such a big deal about it and I am very surprised that when I got to Utah that nobody here knew about this horrible mistake I had made.

But that is not what makes this tie special. 

Didja know that this tie has been in the same knot since the mission? I have never untied it (I am not good at tying ties) and my companion made such a great knot that I have kept it since!

Matt at Work: The Pee Pledge

Day 340

I debated whether or not I should blog about my final day at WestHost. Every time I write it, I come off a bit bitter and I don't want everyone to think that I am angry for how my tenure at WestHost ended.

It ended as abruptly as it began. I didn't think that I landed the job since it took so long for them to get back to me and I didn't go in that morning with the mindset that was going to be my last day. But it is what it is.

I do admit that I was extremely unhappy at my job. My new boss Clint didn't know what to do with me. There were days were we never spoke. And I realized that I was alone in my job. I sat alone separated from my old friends in my old department. But I still did my job and I pride myself that I did it well. But I didn't think I was doing a good job since I was barely covering every thing. They did try to help by having the girls in the Accounts Department help me when I was busy but I hated that. They were already busy and I know deep inside they hated doing sales. So this made me more of an outcast. About two months before I quit I hit rock bottom. I decided to slack off as a call for help but that didn't work either.

I drew this on a Post-It Note and would add a nail each time something happened that made my job unhappy.

I still liked the job and I liked what I was doing but I was just overwhelmed. And I was being micromanaged to the Nth degree. I would miss ONE call (either because I was away from my desk or on the horn already) and I would be asked by both my boss Clint and Smalls. The reason the call was dropped was an easy one to figure out. I was either away from my desk (which I had to do a lot with sales testing and training and dedicated server orders) or I was on the phone and no one was around to help me. Or I was assisting Tech Support in taking their phone calls which left the Sales Department vulnerable. It was an ugly, endless cycle.

I hated it so much there that I finally cleaned out my desk and took all my crap home. I was ready for a change, I just didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

It was a morning like any other morning. The day before had been a bit busy and some calls were dropped. So I was interrogated by Smalls and then I had to explain it again to my boss Clint. All while trying to get a head start on the day. They would ask me why I didn't get those calls that dropped. I don't know and I don't remember why those calls dropped. It was the same explanation, I was either away from my desk or already on the phone. It could only be those two reasons! It was harassment.

A few minutes later, I get this fun IM (instant messaging) telling me that I need to make sure that someone is covering the phone ALL the time. So what do they expect me to do? Go and log the Accounts girls into the Sales phone whenever I have to leave my desk. I replied and said I would but it would be difficult since I have other responsibilities and I cannot wait for others to help. Clint replied and said he understood (yeah right) and then told me that I have to ask someone to cover the phones whenever I am away from my desk. I get it Clint. You don't need to spell it out for me. I have this conversation every stinking day. I was promised that they would hire a Sales assistant MONTHS ago but they have not done a thing to help me.

"So I need to get permission to pee and use the bathroom."

And that is what started the ball rolling. I guess in hindsight I shouldn't have said that but that was what I honestly felt and thought. I think that pissed Clint off because he knew essentially I was right. This is what bugged me about Clint. He was a company guy to company people but to his "friends" he could bag on WestHost all he wants. He did it all the time before I was put in his department. But when he became my boss he had to toe the company line. He was hypocritical.

I left to go home and take Logan to his first day in Kindergarten (I had previously arranged it) and when I got back to WestHost I had to meet with Clint again. Instead of handling the situation himself he went to Smalls like a kiss up. And they came to this answer. In order for me to keep my job, I had to write a paper detailing why I want to keep my job and what I would do in order to keep it.

Thus the "Pee Pledge" was born.

Then they told me to take the afternoon off and go home and think about what I would write to WestHost. It only took me an hour to come to the decision to leave WestHost. And I felt good about it. I went in early the next morning and wrote an e-mail to the staff informing them of my decision to leave. I could have really thrown WestHost under the bus but I wanted to leave with my dignity intact. I didn't want to ruffle any feathers, I just wanted out on my own terms. And they didn't see it coming. I am sure that while they saw me typing they thought I was signing the Pee Pledge.

I would have loved to send this pledge out!

I went in to Clint's office and told him I appreciate what he has done for me (bold face lie) and wished him the best but it would be best if WestHost and I parted ways. I felt a little bad for Clint. I liked him before he was my boss and I think he is a decent guy but he was also a Convergys manager. And therefore put himself over every thing else, even if it meant stepping on someone else. Another manager at WestHost, someone whom I thought was a friend, had the Convergys mentality and stabbed many other workers in the back. I know that he was the one whispering to Clint to get rid of me. He was just as hypocritical, he would bag on WestHost and when I would bag on them too he would run and tell.

I then grabbed my stuff to go up and visit with Brian to tell him that I was quitting. I stopped by my desk and sent the staff that e-mail (to everyone but Smalls) and I made the long walk up the stairs. I entered his office and gave him my binder and said I wanted to leave. Brian was shocked, I really don't think they thought I was going to quit. He had to quickly run and print some paperwork (and knowing how anal he is, he really should have had that done so I knew I caught them with their pants down) and conducted an exit interview. He said that he really tried to help and I just shook my head in disagreement. But I signed the papers and I was a free man. I did have one condition and that was to have two weeks to get my websites off of my free account and into a paid hosting account with WestHost. Brian agreed and said he would tell Chris and they would give me a week to move my stuff.

Yeah, that lasted a few days. It was a good thing that I started to download my stuff that night. They deleted my account three days after I quit.

Right after I walked out, I went and visited my friend Zack who was at his new job. As soon as I walked in, Zack and Chris (another WestHost casualty) stood up and gave me a standing ovation. Someone had already texted Zack that I quit. Good news travels fast.

I hope that didn't sound bitter. Quitting WestHost was the best thing for me. Now I work with my dad, now I have more time to spend with my family, I have lost about twenty pounds. I feel healthier, I feel happier.

Matt at Work: Chrisisms

Day 261

Last night Kristy and I were unwinding and watching some episodes of the Office. I really like that show it often times reminds me of the time when I worked in an office. The DVD's of the show are fantastic and the deleted scenes are so good and we wonder why they have been cut from the episode in the first place.

Last night we watched the episode from Season 5 where Michael and Dwight go on a mission undercover to find a local competitor and scope them out. Micheal gets more then what he bargains for when he gets his competitor's top client list. One of the funniest moments comes from the deleted scenes. Michael comments that it is a dog-eat-dog world and that he is a shark. And then he says he is a shark that eats dog-e-dog. Obviously he thinks dog-eat-dog is said dog-e-dog.

I think I would have had an easier time working for Michael Scott than I did with my other bosses.

And that moment instantly took me back to my last employment. We had a boss that did this sort of thing all the time. Our department would get together in our meetings and just laugh at what we called "Chrisisms".  He had two that were particularly memorable.

"You can't kick a gift horse in the mouse." I don't know what he thought that really means. All I know is that it almost made my boss lose it in an important meeting.

"But that is just a mute point." I wish I was there to hear that one. Actually I am glad that I wasn't there for that. He would have fired me right then and there for laughing. So he thinks that is a silent point? Maybe he is just telling us to shut up in a nice way. But really if he wanted all of us to shut up he would have plainly said it.

And that is what made these even better. He had a certain mentality that made him superior to the rest of us. I heard him say that there was a difference between managers and everyone else. But in his eyes we were all lesser than he.

That makes the Office such a great show. It does imitate real behavior. But I think I would actually like Michael and his quirks.

From the Soap Box: Condescending People

Day 191

I had an experience the other day that really irritated me. I was at church going into a Sunday School class and recently I have found the whole classroom experience to be difficult. I am not the type of person that participates, I am the type of person that likes to sit and listen and learn that way. And if I have something to share, I will but that is not the norm. The teacher of this class likes a lot of participation to the point where it seems like she demands it. It is like there is an unwritten rule that says "if you are in my class you HAVE to participate."  Not a fan of that.

Luckily for the last couple of weeks I have been able to handle it. But yesterday I just couldn't take it. Before the class even began she looked around and began to ask people if they brought in their scriptures and if they didn't she would send someone to go get some. I don't mind that she asked but what I did mind was the way she was asking. She was asking over and over and began to ask people personally if they had their scriptures with them. Then she asked if the class would sit closer in the center so it would help her teach her lesson. I said "No, I'm good here." and she made it a BIG deal that everyone should sit in the center. It is not like I am in a lecture hall or anything. I am in a normal sized classroom.

So I got up and instead of sitting in the middle, I left instead.

I know, real mature of me to just get up and leave right? But it is my choice that I am attending that class. I am there to learn and not to be bossed around like I am some sort of child. I am an adult. I will act like an adult in the class. Does it really matter where I sit? And does it really assist you in teaching if I am sitting in one seat over another? Next time I am very tempted to ask the teacher if I can have a sticker next week because I am sitting in the middle.

That just makes me want to scream!

That is a HUGE pet peeve to me. Don't treat me like a child. I know what is expected of me and I can be trusted to handle myself. I understand that she just wants to have a good class but she is going about it the wrong way.

This was a big reason why I left my last job too. Only it was several people that took it upon themselves to be my parents.

If you want me to act like a child I can do that. But if you want me to respect you than treat me like you would yourself. Don't be condescending to me and to others. That is a sign of disrespect.