 Okay, I'll admit it. Being a pain is not just a pun on my last name. I can truly be a pest some most of the time. But that is something I have learned to live with, and so have most of those around me.
The honest truth is, I am good at what I do. Period. That's not bragging, and I could easily find a handful of folks to attest to that.
Here's the problem: I can't explain how I get things done most of the time. I just get them done. And I get them done in my own way, on my own time table. And while I am pretty good for the bottom line, sometimes my peers aren't as cool with what I can get away with because of it. Sometimes, I'm not to cool with what I can get away with. Sometimes, I'm not to cool on what other get away with because of what they are good at, especially if I think they are not as good as I am.
This is unfortunate, because while there may be some underlying (or even blatant) resentment among the ranks, its natural within an organization. The stars get special treatment, and can get away with near murder because they can out haul, out deliver, and out sell the masses. On the bizzaro flip-side, your slackers will be able to get away with not doing things because, lets face it, as bad as they suck, you really don't want them doing anything important do you?
So as I'm leaving work today, I'm having to explain that I actually like being a socially awkward workaholic who will occasionally push the wrong buttons of the administrative staff...because its natural, and allows me to use my natural talents with our questioning where they come from. And that I get frustrated with a certain social butterfly, but I admire what she can accomplish, so I live with it. And I put up with having to follow an office comedian to double check all his work, because even though he should be able to work it out or himself, its a lot easier to fix it before he finishes then to let it blow up and having to fix it on the back end.
Its also why I offer to often pick-up for everybody, and often go to special lengths to buy lunch for those people I am most likely to upset when I need their help the most.
So don't beat yourself up if you find yourself jealous of the freedom of the super star or angered by your responsibility to keep the village idiot from being, well, the village idiot. Working with others require the wisdom to live by the axiom of the philosopher, The Rock. So know your role, and shut your mouth!
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Labels: slackers, star employees, teams |
speaking of buying lunch for people, I think I probably owe you one next week. when would work for you, old bean?