Outstanding Employee???

CrBoy · January 2006

Hi guys, I'm back at work now after some time at the beach and I need some advice...

What really makes you an outstanding employee? I'm trying to understand my Boss's point of view on this matter… I have worked for him for about 3 years and I still don't get him.

I always get to work on time, I get everything done as fast and good as I can, I share my knowledge with everybody here who is looking for help… and I go home always on time.
And the most important part, I produce him more MONEY than anybody else…!

However he’s always jumping on my **** because I don’t do extra time (I don’t need to) and because I’m not a “Team Player”. :mad:

Why I’m asking my fellow polkies about this? Because my Boss is from Texas and most of you are from the States as well, so maybe you all can help me to understand what’s wrong with my behavior…

Please chime in…!

Mike Reeter · January 2006

I'm sure he would realize just how "good" an employee you are if you started showing a up little late every day,a little hungover,took an extra ten minutes for lunch everyday,and knocked off a bit early every day...

Then,he might have something to **** about,where I make my living,you can count on somebody not showing up for work at all,no phone calls,no forwarning,nothing...

amulford · January 2006

The problem you are having is not unusual. You have done too well for him, so he will always expect that. Andhe will always be looking for more. It's not a bad thing on his part, but he should be a little more respectful.

You are doing the right thing, but don't expect to get recognized. Give it back to him, if it bothers you. Let him know where youstand and how you feel. He'll soften up...

CrBoy · January 2006

For God sake, since when doing too well is a bad thing!!!??? :eek:

danger boy · January 2006

i don't know why he is riding your ****.....

In my office of about 35 people.. we have some outstanding employees who are like you.. show up for work on time, have a great work attitude, put in extra hours, and are a team player.

But for some reason those same people often get overlooked for promotions and raises. while the "squeaky wheel" gets the raisies and the "perks" if you will. It's not fair. But that's the current work enviroment in many of todays competitive business offices.

Also, your boss may expect more from you than other employees... since he know you can deliver. He's in effect pushing you to become more effective and efficent.. without giving you a raise.

In my business (broadcasting) it's always changing. I can no longer just be one of several employees with the same skills. I have to adjust to the changing times. WHich in effect means the more effective I am while wearing several different hats.. the more valuable I become in the companies eyes. If you don't grow in your current job.. suddenly, you may not hold that job for very long anymore.

cfrizz · January 2006

Bosses are Aholes everywhere.

Tell him exactly what you told us, and add that you ARE a team player during your regular working hours, but you value your personal time which YOU need to recharge your battery & take care of your personal life as well.

Labor laws were created because if businesses had their way they would have us working 24/7/365 & barely pay us for it.

CrBoy · January 2006

I performed very well in every area I have been to here in the company... I think he has a wicked mind or something!

One day he says something like "You're one of my most valuable employees, it's rare to find people with your skills, I want you to work for me for the next 20 years... stick with me and you'll make tons of $$$"

the next day he is like "Look punk, I have I to fire you and hire 2 other people to do your job, I will do it in a heartbeat even if it cost me more $$$, so be a f*cking team player!!!"

What's up with him? Is he looking down at me because I'm a latino...?
Family? He has no family here in Costa Rica, only his wife... he even consider me his (never-born) son (he's 46+, I'm 22...)

BlueMDPicker · January 2006

Being a team player doesn't mean all the "players" on a "team" are equal and share equal responsibilities and duties. Being a "team player" means that you understand that some of your teammates have greater or lesser roles than you. Show respect for the ones with lesser responsibilities (and talents) and learn everything you can from those that have more (of both) than you do. The goal: one day, you become the team captain.

F1nut · January 2006

Start your own business, then tell him to eff off. j/k...well sort of.

Sounds like he's one of those passive/aggressive bossman types. There's no pleasing them.

Danny Tse · January 2006

CrBoy wrote:

What really makes you an outstanding employee? I'm trying to understand my Boss's point of view on this matter I have worked for him for about 3 years and I still don't get him.

I always get to work on time, I get everything done as fast and good as I can, I share my knowledge with everybody here who is looking for help and I go home always on time.
And the most important part, I produce him more MONEY than anybody else!

However hes always jumping on my **** because I dont do extra time (I dont need to) and because Im not a Team Player. :mad:

Why Im asking my fellow polkies about this? Because my Boss is from Texas and most of you are from the States as well, so maybe you all can help me to understand whats wrong with my behavior

Please chime in!

It depends on the office culture where you work....

I work for the government and I have the same issue with my boss. I guess I am not a "team player" because I keep suggesting more efficient ways of doing things and always finishing up my assignments well ahead of deadlines, therefore making everyone else look lazy (I can't help it if other employees spend their office hours trading stocks online or looking at online personals ads). Which is why, I think, my boss refuse to give me any performance evaluation for the past 3 years, despite my complains to HR and the union.

dragon1952 · January 2006

Try brown-nosing

Texans like that.

TroyD · January 2006

Just my .02

I document EVERYTHING I do. That way, when appraisals come around, I've got the facts ready. Work extra time? Ok boss, here you go. This is everything I've done and so forth without having to dig into your pocket for overtime.

Next, have him explain in detail his expectations so there is no confusion.....and again, CYA with documentation.

BDT

Demiurge · January 2006

Run a business.

CrBoy · January 2006

Running my own business would be great but is not easy to accomplish...

As far as extra time goes, I can work 10 extra hours per day and my paycheck will be the same... he's in love with the ones that do extra time even if the output/performance is not better than mine...

I get along very well with everybody here, I'm the oldest employee he has but I feel he doesn't respect me the way he should.

Me being a latino should not matter, I have the skills to do everything he wants...

I'm sorry I just don't get him :mad: :mad:

steveinaz · January 2006

Some bosses are workaholics and expect their staff to be. It's **** in my book. I work to live, I don't live to work. I give 100% for my 8 hours, and then I leave work at work. I call them "work geeks" you know, the type that thinks the company will go under when they retire....whatta joke. These people eat and breathe their job because they have no life outside of work.

steveinaz · January 2006

Danny Tse wrote:

It depends on the office culture where you work....

I work for the government and I have the same issue with my boss. I guess I am not a "team player" because I keep suggesting more efficient ways of doing things and always finishing up my assignments well ahead of deadlines, therefore making everyone else look lazy (I can't help it if other employees spend their office hours trading stocks online or looking at online personals ads). Which is why, I think, my boss refuse to give me any performance evaluation for the past 3 years, despite my complains to HR and the union.

Your boss not giving you evaluations is actually a plus for you. It documents his incompetence, plain as day. Think about it....it also means that he has nothing negative documented about you---that would be a quick day in civil court for wrongful termination should things ever go bad. I love incompetent bosses (I have one) it makes my life (and job) much easier.

Demiurge · January 2006

CrBoy wrote:

Running my own business would be great but is not easy to accomplish...

Yeah, not easy, but it's also not as hard as it sounds either.

I said that just becuase of some of the other comments I read from other folks in this thread. All bosses are **** I think one of the replies was. Nice. These are the people who take huge personal financial risks to provide jobs and hopefully make a better style of living for their family, and the famlies of their employees.

Your boss could be a loser, ask him point blank what he wants you to improve upon. If he can't give you an answer, or an answer that's at least reasonable...i'd just quit. Is this a career for you?

I don't know...I always take care of my employees so they never have anything to **** about. It doesn't always work, but everyone in my crew currently has been here since at least 1998 and often earlier. My employees are actually more important than my customers. Happy employees makes happy customers. Some folks you just can't please, and there's a chance you've got a boss that you just can't please. I guess you need to decide if the pay is worth the 'abuse' (for lack of a better word).

Good luck man, I know how it is.

MrBuhl · January 2006

CrBoy wrote:

Hi guys, I'm back at work now after some time at the beach and I need some advice...

What really makes you an outstanding employee? I'm trying to understand my Boss's point of view on this matter

I always get to work on time, I get everything done as fast and good as I can, and I go home always on time. However hes always jumping on my **** because I dont do extra time and because Im not a Team Player. :mad:

I'm not from Texas and I'm sure this will be pretty unpopular but as I am probably what I assume most here would define as a boss I have highlighted a few things that might be contributing to your miscommunications with your boss.

a. Always getting to work on time - Positive
b. ALWAYS having to leave on time - Not so positive necessarily
c. As fast and as good as I can - but is it as fast and as good as your boss wants?

A few other things in this thread I noticed are that he threatened you - "if i have to fire you and get two people to ..." That's just **** and piss-poor management.

You don't work extra because your paycheck would be the same - but would the team benefit if you did?

I'm not trying to be a dick

- just trying to offer what your boss might be thinking like you asked?

If you think about all of these things and still think you are doing things right - sit down and talk about expectations - but I wouldn't go confrontational as it always sounds fun, and ends bad.

Hope it helps!

and PS - if it's because you're Latino - it's not only him being a dick - it's against the law!! That's descrimination my friend...

CrBoy · January 2006

MrBuhl wrote:

You don't work extra because your paycheck would be the same - but would the team benefit if you did?

I don't work extra time because I don't need to do it, I take care of my customers and other **** within my working hours. The Team will not get any benefits either because we all make individual sales (Travel Industry)

jtgranby · January 2006

Costa rica sounds like anice place for a vacation any good deals.I'll even put in a good word to your boss

Danny Tse · January 2006

steveinaz wrote:

Your boss not giving you evaluations is actually a plus for you. It documents his incompetence, plain as day. Think about it....it also means that he has nothing negative documented about you---that would be a quick day in civil court for wrongful termination should things ever go bad. I love incompetent bosses (I have one) it makes my life (and job) much easier.

Steve,

I agree with your assessment. However, I only have one piece of paper (my initial evaluation) in my personnel file. This can work against me when I want job advancement.

cfrizz · January 2006

You got that right Steve! My former boss is like that. However, I think he uses the job to avoid being at home. He has a wife & 3 girls but he's in the office around 7 in the morning & usually stays till 6 at night. Once I overheard him telling someone he had stayed till 9 pm! :eek:

I'm convinced that some use work as an excuse just so they don't have to deal with the kids & wife!

steveinaz wrote:

Some bosses are workaholics and expect their staff to be. It's **** in my book. I work to live, I don't live to work. I give 100% for my 8 hours, and then I leave work at work. I call them "work geeks" you know, the type that thinks the company will go under when they retire....whatta joke. These people eat and breathe their job because they have no life outside of work.

CrBoy · January 2006

jtgranby wrote:

Costa rica sounds like anice place for a vacation any good deals.I'll even put in a good word to your boss

Just PM me if you really want some info... I'll be glad to help you!

cfrizz · January 2006

I guess it is different with small businesses Demi, the ones in charge still see human beings & not robots.

But it's not like this in most large corps. I've worked for one for 24 yrs. They use to care at least a little. But now they do everything they can to work you to death & pay you as little as possible. And look for all kinds of ways to not pay you if they can.

As some of you know, my older brother is in a permanant vegetative state. In the beginning, his employer, Mellon Bank was oh so helpful. They had some company help us fill out & submit all the paperwork for collecting SSDI. No sooner was he approved, they sent me a letter saying that now that he was getting the disability, THEY over paid him with the LTD he was collecting from the job! We needed to pay back over $19,000.00! If they didn't get it in 2 weeks, they would terminate him as an employee!

They know that it's impossible since you can only have 2000.00 of liquid assets. I'm now paying them money just so he can maintain his health insurance via COBRA.

This was supposed to be a lifetime benefit! But they don't want to have to pay out all that money & not get anything in return for it.

I have no doubt that all the major corps have it set up like this.

It's very disheartening to know that if some major like this happened to me, all the money that is coming out of my paycheck for LTD would just come in handy until I get help elsewhere than they would drop me like a hot potato.

Demiurge wrote:

I said that just becuase of some of the other comments I read from other folks in this thread. All bosses are **** I think one of the replies was. Nice. These are the people who take huge personal financial risks to provide jobs and hopefully make a better style of living for their family, and the famlies of their employees.

I don't know...I always take care of my employees so they never have anything to **** about. It doesn't always work, but everyone in my crew currently has been here since at least 1998 and often earlier. My employees are actually more important than my customers. Happy employees makes happy customers. Some folks you just can't please, and there's a chance you've got a boss that you just can't please. I guess you need to decide if the pay is worth the 'abuse' (for lack of a better word).

Good luck man, I know how it is.

Demiurge · January 2006

Yeah, a lot of them are really bad because it isn't personal at all. The less personal it is, the easier it is not to care. I don't think all of the big corporations are bad, a lot of them have some decent setups. No matter how good some are, it's still a risk you take working for corporate giants, you're a number and easily replaceable.

Sorry for assuming you meant us little guys too.

Good luck with your brother and that company.

Outstanding Employee???

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