offbalance | But really, I'm feeling much better!

Greetings Sharon --

Here is your horoscope for Wednesday, August 14:

Morality influences you without consuming you. Pisces isn't escaping -- just moving on. Your rules may apply better in the next world than in the one that you're leaving behind.

Should I take that as a hint? The next world? But I don't even know anyone named Skip!

And in less amusing news, the facists at

antheia's job have deleted all of her programs and formally reprimanded her. What-the-fuck-ever. I don't know why 'adults' in the business world get such a bee in their bonnet about the younger people multi-tasking. We're given the same amount of work that any well-trained ape could do in half an hour, every 2 to 3 hours, so when we finish it perfectly and early, and no one has anything else for us to ruddy do, then what, pray tell, is the horrid nuisance of someone checking their hotmail or reading lj until further tasks can be provided? I mean really! I've always believed that the younger generations' computer proficiency threatens the typwriter generations, and they think that by keeping us away from the computer as much as possible, thinking that we won't get any better at using it if our exposure is limited. However, this is only true for those who 'boot down' their computers, or have ever gone to a store and asked how much it was to buy 'an internet',think that it's the speed of their processor that's limiting their ability to navigate the web when they are still using a 3600 speed modem, or even gone to a writing center and when asked what program their paper is saved to the disk in, they've answered 'Compaq pentium...no...windows? I think it's windows!' (personal gripe).
In short, if you want us to actually do things, you must give us things to do!! grrr...

And in the domain of things that are shiny:
I love this song. Am *such* a sap.
if

quiz created by glitterevil

Which Cure single are you?

also: I took this quiz due to peer pressure, but had to laugh at the result; she was my IDOL from age 2-6 (or whatever year She-Ra premiered.):

I'm Diana, which ambiguous dyke are you? Quiz by Turi.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

blech, I've had similar problems. But almost the opposite, I would finish working and ask them for something else to do, and they would tell me to just go play solitaire.

feh, and they all want us to be so proficient with computers for these jobs.
*shrugs*
*kicks corporate america in the knees*

used to happen at my internship all of the time. But they wanted us to do 'make-believe' projects to fill the downtime, and the three interns looked at this woman who suggested it like she'd grown an additional head. At least at my current job reading a fashion magazine to pass the time is considered a valuable use of my energies. ;)

it's not *all* of corporate America. Many people at companies (and from what I've noticed, largely female ones) get all in a tither if someone is sitting still, like every second of the day MUST be accounted for or else, yadda yadda. (This generally applies outside of the office as well, but I digress.) Pay attention: if these people are the sort that have to have every second of their weekend mapped out, then generally the sight of someone finishing their work quickly and taking a break will make them break into hives.

it;s kind of scary when efficiency has become a bad thing...

I think *how* efficient the younger people are scares the older people. In ye olde days before the internet, my mom said if they didn't feel like working, they'd just do stuff slowly and that would be that. We're a threat to their whole way of life, because of the radically different (and possibly more efficient) way that we approach and solve problems.

It's weird to think that we might be burning ourselves out though. We do so much in less time. Must be the caffiene

i sort of agree with you -- i'm not quite sure what i would do if i wasn't allowed to play with my computer. on the other hand, this company is paying for your time, and that means they have the right to dictate what you do with it (within reason). if they would rather have you staring at the wall than playing with the internet, that's their prerogative.

I realize this. But I'm not exactly sure why staring at the wall looks better than someone actively using a computer, but that's just me. I had this discussion with someone at my internship and they couldn't give me an answer.

I think it all comes down to a power struggle. If a supervisor wants you to snap to when they need you and doesn't care what you do until they do (like my boss), that's one thing. Some (who, IMO, don't usually have enough to do in their job so they end up micromanaging those under them), go insane if the person under them is doing something else, even when all else has been finished. I just think it's bad managment, frankly. Someone who's happy at their job is going to be willing to do a lot more for you than someone who feels trapped in a facist regime.

my problem with that is this: while in theory what you're saying resonates, it sounds, in practice, like there are some people who just don't want to do the boring work, and would rather chat on AIM or update their livejournal.

there is always something that needs to be done, especially when you're working in an office. and yeah, filing and the like seem so boring and unneccessary as to be just busywork and unimportant shuffling of papers, but it's actually very crucial to the efficient running of the business. if the supervisor is inventing work to be done out of thin air, that's one thing, but that's rarely how it is -- even if it looks that way to junior staff or interns.

I've asked (and done) filing on numerous occassions rather than play on IM or LJ (especially at the internship in Albany). Many offices (when dealing with temp/junior staff) don't want to take the time to explain how to do even the most menial busywork b/c they like things done a certain way, so you're not allowed to touch the filing, because x person would rather do it their way, when and if they have time. And yes, it seems silly, and that anyone who uses the alphabet should be able to file, but some people have very particular systems, but don't want to teach them or have them changed/disturbed, so the junior staffer is left with nothing to do.

It's much deeper than filing. At least on my end. The file system here is very sensitive and specific but was never explained to me before the pregnant woman left, so I can't file, and there have been days when I was SO bored I would have liked something productive, like filing, to do with my time. I've done all sorts of things - organized the showroom, watered the plants, created spreadsheets tracking samples that we have out- to make something to do for myself on days (VERY unlike today) that are slow. But the problem is that in general, there's too little to do on a daily basis, too many people to do it, and the great lull.

i was under the impression that we were speaking of the general situation, rather than the specific, because in the former -- at least here, and at several other jobs i've held -- what i've said holds true. as far as your job goes, i'm certainly not there so i can't say anything!

oh, I know we were speaking in general terms, I just find generalzations to be a dangerous street to play on, so I was using myself as an example (and yes I know I'm a goody-two-shoes, but I don't feel fair talking about anyone else, yanno?).

Generally, yes, filing is boring and no one likes to do it. However, I've found (and been told through my dad & other people) how the filing is presented to the staffer is tatamount to how it gets done. "I guess you can file or something," is generally not as effective as "I would really appreciate it/really need you to do this filing for me, I have to have all of this info in its proper home so I can do my job." When the staffer is made to feel like an important part of the organization (no matter how menial the task) they will be more willing to do what needs to be done. That's the issue here. The junior staff feeling under-utilized and useless causes less to get done. It's not the work, it's the feeling. And yes, I know it's not the *job* of the boss to constantly pat their staff on the head, but sometimes, the right kind of question or some praise can really go a long way to creating higher efficiency (seeing as that's the ultimate goal here).

But really, I'm feeling much better!

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