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silence_dogood · Newbie Joined: 24 Jul 2009 Posts: 1 Career Advice: +0/-0

So, I got called off work again today when I really shouldn't have been. My boss gave me a hasty reason and I didn't understand her explanation...something to do with others needing to be there for 3 hours (minimum time during a work day to be paid properly), maybe she called in someone for extra help or the station they were supposed to be it didn't need them so she'd just send them to the place I was working in to fulfill that and just leave them there for the rest of the day. Btw, I'm a cashier and we switch from station to station. But that's unfair to me because I was scheduled for a full shift today and there isn't any other legitimate reason (such as the weather - I work at a waterpark) to call me off. I really need the money! Now I'm starting to wonder if she has a problem with me and so is indirectly limiting my hours. I don't know what I could've done wrong; I do everything in my job description that I'm supposed to do, she hasn't complained about me doing slow work or having a bad attitude (I don't think I have either of these things), but maybe she's still not happy with my performance? On my last performance review I got shot down for being shy\quiet and not very enthusiastic (aka. not bubbly and super friendly and outgoing) and maybe she thinks I haven't improved in those areas and so will give other coworkers a chance to work over me. Last summer I got called out on those characteristics too but she didn't do anything about it then, so why start singling me out now and right in the middle of the work season no less? Should I talk to her about this, or will she take it the wrong way and think I'm being disruptive for bringing it up? Knowing her she probably would. She's a very nitpicky sort of person and has to have things her way, or its the highway as it were. I'm guessing she's just fed up with my introverted behaviour, but that's just my personality (as much as an excuse it sounds, I know). As a cashier I'm meant to be friendly and helpful and take the lead, but maybe I'm not being those enough. I'm nice and polite to the customers and offer help when I can, but I probably should've done more. I thought I was improving, even a little bit, because I feel more socially confident on the job but it's possible she hasn't noticed this because she isn't observing me every second of the day. I'm guessing she and her assistants only take note of what we do when they look at us on camera or come in for a second into the station to do something and that's obviously not enough to have the most accurate impression. I guess I didn't think being more on the quiet side was a huge deal. Sorry for the rant here, I'm just frustrated about this and the fact that she thinks so little of me.

- silence_dogood

Pauloz · Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 1:16 am Post subject:

silence_dogood

This is a very common thing among third rate managers, which are also pretty common. If you want a look at how not to manage people, you're getting one.

The bit about "enthusiasm" is for newbies. Being "bubbly and super friendly and outgoing" is just mindless patter, meaningless. This is all cliche management-speak, utterly useless in terms of anything productive. Nitpickers are truly lousy managers, by definition. This one should be concentrating on your work, because you're working on a register, not on whether you're smiling like a clown and being effervescent all day.

I don't think talking could achieve much. The impression I have is of a person who's "managing" out of a cornflakes box. I don't see much evidence of judgment in what this person does.

Suggest you start looking for something where you can work and get some forward momentum. This type of management is never very supportive, and the environment can progressively cause stress.

If you can get a transfer, move sideways or up in the same organization, or just move into a better job, you'll feel a lot more secure in your job, and not have to try and psychoanalyze this twerp to figure out how you're doing in your work.

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