did it go through the finisher? (crosses fingers that Steve was actually able to make copies of his meatball sandwich)
- John: Clockwork Librarian
Is the finisher the part that I took out and cleaned in the sink? Because yes.
- Your Neighbor Steve
That's ok, just make to dry all the staples in the finisher individually by hand (you can probably get a student to help you)
- John: Clockwork Librarian
Can I have one of those extra sandwiches?
- barbara fister
Yes... printers cost a lot of money to use in great volume. What did it take for the reduction of printers (and, thus, printing volume) to happen?
- Julian
Barbara of course, I'll use the scan to email function to get one to you immediately
- John: Clockwork Librarian
Julian, during our city budget meeting last fall, one of the aldermen proposed reducing the city's printer numbers. There was almost no discussion on it, it just passed. So it was dictated by the city budget to reduce printers, which is fine with me (less for me to troubleshoot).
- John: Clockwork Librarian
How come it can't scan in all 37 pages of this book chapter at the same time?
- Just Joe
You must have lined it up wrong...try the 'mash' option and just push it as hard as you can onto the platten (that's the glass)
- John: Clockwork Librarian
John, I put this CD in the copier, but I'm not getting any of the music in my iTunes! What's wrong with your stupid machine?
- RepoRat
Could you edit the sandwich before you send me one? I'd like extra cheese.
- LB so u no it's real
Thankfully I am unaware of the scents associated with stinkbugs (though I have heard of them - I think the Simpsons mentioned them once), but I'll tell you what's really gross - turning on a halogen lamp without being aware that a moth had decided to get trapped and die recently beneath the lens cover. There's only one worse-smelling thing I've ever encountered.
- Slippy
Make up something good, pretend I said it. (I think that's a Buffy paraphrase)
- Betsy
I need references, but I don't think I'd deserve one (yet, or anymore). Besides, we've never worked together in any context.
- Julian
If you knew granting agencies that might be interested, I'd love a reference, but otherwise...just not likely to be looking for an actual job.
- Walt Crawford
It's probably bad form to immediately leave FB b/c you notice that a relative is on and you don't want said relative to see you're there and start a chat with you.
It's not bad form unless they know that's why you signed off. ;-)
- John (bird whisperer)
Been there, done that. (It's ok... honest.)
- Mark J
from Android
What you do on FB is noone's business but your own. Unless you decide to make everyone else's. Seriously. I go on FB invisibly, all the time.
- Cristal Blue Persuasion
Oh, they don't need to be blocked. I just didn't want to deal with their issues tonight (which are legitimate issues). I'm just guarding my mental space tonight.
- Katy S
Seriously? You should leave Facebook whenever it's convenient for you; even though they may have added chat, it's still a fundamentally asynchronous system, and that's how it works best (IMHO). It would never occur to me that there was any reason to spend more than 5 minutes on FB now and then, but then, I'm a Social Network Introvert/Avoider, I suppose.
- Walt Crawford
I have to go off line on chat every time my cousins kid is online. She always tried to talk to me. Sometimes it's OK, but not every time I'm there.
- Alan
You can block the chat function - Ive done that for everyone, no exceptions :)
- ωαřмaiden ☆TeamOtto☆
Just don't friend them and lock down your privacy settings. If you already friended, you can disable/block the chat. I have mine turned off always. And what Walt says.
- Angel R. Rivera
Walt - I go there mostly to play some scrabble games and occasionally chat with my niece (she wasn't the one I was avoiding). I mostly felt guilty because this time it was the cousin whose husband has brain cancer and I knew that any chat discussion would turn to that. So, I'm the person who ran away from the potentially depressing and serious conversation.
- Katy S
You're not obligated to have that kind of serious discussion on Facebook, especially through chat. If they want to discuss something that important with you personally, they'll contact you some other way. Like others have said here, I keep mine turned off all the time. People rarely ever bothered me with it, but I didn't want to leave myself open to the possibility.
- Kamilah Reed (K. Gill)
It is? How about I just never go on Facebook. Which is what I do.
- Derrick
I'm only on FB (to the extent I am) because I have relatives who I'd never hear about/from otherwise. I suspect that's true for a lot of us SNIAs. I don't even know whether I have chat on or off...but I'm rarely in FB long enough to notice.
- Walt Crawford
Primarily, I was just feeling guilty for avoiding someone in pain who might want to chat. My parents didn't raise me to do that sort of thing, so there was a little additional family-induced guilt going on.
- Katy S
I'm always invisible on FB chat for precisely that reason.
- Kelli H.
from Android
Short version, for now. I'm the big problem -- and it wasn't always this way. Circumstances changed drastically (as I learned later, based on events that happened/started even before my arrival), and I became completely incompatible.
- Julian
If I were going to officially chime in on the first link, I would say that bad situations certainly exist. Sometimes, the degree to which the situation is bad (or not at all) is relative to a bunch of factors, and the situation isn't bad for everyone.
- Julian
Anyone who knows me well enough probably knows what I'm talking about above. If you are around me in person often enough, then you probably dislike me even more by now.
- Julian
In addition to significant change, I've seen division. It's largely based on "the way things used to be." Because of when and how I showed up, I'm either caught in the middle or off to the side -- I'm not really sure which.
- Julian
Over on the first thread I cited above, <http://ff.im/RmsH6>, the fourteenth comment (by MC). Yeah... that. I'd rather be honest and fair (by giving things a legitimate chance) than shut up and die slowly. I'm sure several professional sports teams have improved significantly after unloading a player who was once great for the team, but was no longer a good fit. Why? Because the teams were forced to evaluate more closely, and then improve accordingly. ...
- Julian
... I'm kind of thinking about the Green Bay Packers, ca. 2004-2010. That period was rough at times, but difficulty was necessary. The team is better now than it was earlier in that period. Some of that transition had to be forced, though -- perhaps a year later than was ideal. By the time the transition was in full steam, the team was in better shape to handle it.
- Julian
Now the Colts, and what they're going through right now... I think that's going to get uglier than it has already become. A 2-14 year wasn't a disaster. The sudden change of leadership on the field and in the front office is going to be the true disaster from which recovery is going to take too long.
- Julian
That I continue to not be wrong about certain things should be a sign to me.
- Julian
I think I'm done with this one. Not that anyone read it or anything.
- Julian
"So take another look at the boss you call bad. Think about what motivates him: What is he scared about that you can make easier? What is he lacking that you can compensate for? What does he wish you would do that you don’t? Once you start managing this relationship more skillfully, you will be able to get more from your boss in terms of coaching and support: You’ll be able to tip the scales from the bad boss side to the learning opportunity side."
- Jenica
from Bookmarklet
This line? "What is he scared about that you can make easier? What is he lacking that you can compensate for?" This line terrifies me. The"bad boss" I had would have seen any attempt to do those things on my part as undermining and sabotaging and trying to displace her. I think there really are bad bosses. But, let's presume I'm missing something. What is it I'm missing??
- RudĩϐЯaЯïan
Rudy, I'd say you just identified that she's scared of losing her place and power. So how would a hypothetical employee work around and with that fear?
- Jenica
I just cannot agree with this at all. The power difference between a manager and the managed means that no matter how well you react to someone who is a poor manager, there will always be things that are out of your control which can affect you adversely. I don't mean you shouldn't try to always do your best, but foisting the blame on the person with less power in the dynamic feels counterproductive and more than a little unfair.
- Jennifer Dittrich
I don't take Penelope Trunk seriously at all. I've read some of her writing, and saw her speak once in person, and I'd rather take work advice from my dog.
- Rachel Walden
The thing I took away from this essay is a reminder that we all have agency, and can choose where we use it. A bad boss -- or even a good one -- does not have all the power. And if you choose to exercise some, where you can, there are strategies that can make that more effective.
- Jenica
Also, there are bad bosses. There are bad employees. There are bad people. Working to make the best of every situation is great and important, but there are bad bosses, and they can do real harm. This I know.
- lris
I agree, Iris. But I still like the reminder to choose where we apply our ability to act. :)
- Jenica
I guess my problem lies in the phrasing (and the absolutes) -- I really do think people should be proactive in trying to address workplace problems, but I worry about blaming/shaming people in a bad situation by telling them it is their fault for not fixing it.
- Jennifer Dittrich
Here, I fixed that for her: "So take another look at the Spouse You Call Abusive. Think about what motivates him: What is he scared about that you can make easier? What is he lacking that you can compensate for? What does he wish you would do that you don’t?"
- Rachel Walden
the last time i had this conversation about what I believe about employees and bad supervisors and bad institutional fit, a librarian got so angry he got up and left the preconference workshop I was teaching. So I think that the better part of valor in an online forum is to just shut up.
- Jenica
I think the take home lesson from this article is the last line: "The point, after all, is for you to shine, and no one shines when they’re complaining." Yes there are things that are totally and completely out of our control when it comes to who manages us and who we manage. But, if we can identify the common problem areas and develop ways to work successfully with and through them, we...
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- Mary Carmen
I absolutely believe there are people who are just not making an effort to "get" their bosses, or are clueless. I think there are also bad bosses. I have some serious problems with the body of Trunk's advice over the years, though.
- Rachel Walden
I am not the biggest fan of Penelope either, I think she sometimes oversimplifies. However, the other very real option for a work environment that you feel is destroying your soul is to leave. I know that for most people that is not a viable option, but if you've tried to make it work and it doesn't and your losing your sanity, maybe it's time to consider how to make leaving an option.
- Mary Carmen
MC, that makes a lot of sense to me. I guess I'm sensitive - I had a situation where I had a difficult boss (the shining opportunity) and a very terrible boss (who brooked no management) in the same office. Being professional, proactive and politic in your work environment is very good advice.
- Jennifer Dittrich
Jenn, I've had several terrible bosses and terrible employees. It has been a slow, steep, frustrating learning curve over the years to understand them and develop the correct skills to manage them (both up and down). I'm at a place now where I tend to be very solution oriented. I want to solve problems and provide resources to get things done. I allow folks to vent when they need to,...
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- Mary Carmen
To go back up to comment three, I wish I knew. But you can bet I'll be pondering this a lot in the next several weeks. (although, I think new boss and new dean are AMAZING). I think what I like about the article is the shifting of perspective. I;m still a believer that there are bad bad bosses, but if you can't leave the job, and you can't change them, it's very helpful to look at...
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- RudĩϐЯaЯïan
I don't think it's bad bosses or bad employees as bad people in bad positions.
- Andy
I've got to disagree. I had one supervisor who was an alcoholic and another who was seriously mentally ill. There was no way for me to manage their behaviors beyond quitting. The alcoholic tried to frame me for stealing (I'm serious) and the mentally deranged one expected me to call her every time I went to the bathroom.
- Anne Graham
Anne, that is terrible and I think extreme cases that I would put in the abusive category. Go directly t HR, do not pass go, do not try to reason with the crazy people.
- Mary Carmen
MC, I tried but no one would listen.
- Anne Graham
That's terrible, Anne. I don't have an answer for that because inept and/or unwilling HR depts. are a reason I've left jobs.
- Mary Carmen
Hrm, that duet made more sense before Steve deleted his comment.
- Jenica
Sorry, Jenica. I realized that heaping more scorn on the article wasn't really necessary & hoped I'd deleted it before people saw it.
- Your Neighbor Steve
Sorry, I read fast and type faster ;-)
- Mary Carmen
I don't really like absolutes, but in many cases there are things that people on both sides of a problem can try to do. There are bosses and employees from hell, and HR departments that do nothing, and too many of us have experienced them or known people who have experienced them to discount it, but many times we can do things to help ourselves. I am leery of putting too much of the...
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- Katy S
I think it is a shared responsibility, but I also think that if you're in a position of power you have to be willing to accept what comes with that power. The good and the bad. You really need to be honest with yourself about what you can handle and are willing to handle. I've lost count of the number of difficult conversations/actions I've had to facilitate, usher, perform, etc. It...
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- Mary Carmen
MC - I agree. I tend to be fairly pragmatic about these sorts of things, which is one of the reasons the absolutes grate on me. I think they're an over-simplification. Life (and people) aren't that simple.
- Katy S
I was only going to post separately, but then I actually read the article (after reading the discussion here). Sometimes, despite trying to make it work and filling in for what seems to be missing, there's still just nothing there that is worthwhile for positive progress in one's career. Key word: CAREER. In these modern times (especially in Libraryland), growth and progress will more...
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- Julian
We're setting up Skype for use in our interview process (we have a lot of openings this year including our current search for a new children's head and a new director) and we want to be able to communicate with non-local people.
- John: Clockwork Librarian
I can't hang with the cool kids anymore. Definitely not with the more elite cool kids. However, it's inappropriate for me to hang with the new(er) kids because I'm now too old. I need to find my people.
This has to do with that thing next month that I'm now going to attend after all. I was convinced to do so, despite having my reasons for staying away. My first time at this thing in two years, and my first time at something like this thing in about a year (which is unusual for me).
- Julian
I used to think I was not at their level. Then, I started hanging out with the cool kids -- and they didn't tell me to go away. Eventually, I couldn't keep up, and they zoomed way above me. Now, I am certain that I'm far from being in their league.
- Julian
Executive Decision (cuz that's how we roll in the LSW): LSW meeting of the minds at PLA! Thursday evening! dinner and/or drinks, location to be decided. be there or be square!
Keep me in the loop on this. I think I've got another party tentatively scheduled for that day, but I can't remember for sure, and sweet baby jeebus knows there's a ton of parties that happen during those conferences.
- Katie
This happens about once a year. The mistake part. Usually, I don't make this mistake. Unfortunately this time, the caller ID looked innocent enough.
- Julian
Some people would probably want me to burn for eternity several miles below our planet's surface for what I just did. But I knowingly did it anyway.
- Julian
(Someone innocently forwarded a call to me, not knowing that I didn't want to accept the call. By not, I mean NEVER.)
- Julian
When this same thing happened to me three years ago, I ended up having a bad rest of the day. Then a bad rest of the week. Before I knew it, I had given up on school. (I didn't want to be found/contacted through there, too.) That's how bad I felt about it. As long as this particular connection remains disconnected, I function better. This lack of connection might very well be what makes me functional, period.
- Julian
Had I not been in the same building from which the call had been forwarded, I might not have returned to my desk today. (I was on a different floor.)
- Julian
There are certain people with whom I don't want to have any further contact. Mostly because I feel better about myself being out of contact. One of them called me at work. Not directly, but at a more public-facing number for the library.
- Julian
Okay. So do they know you don't wanna know them? Do you have to interact with them because of work? Can you perpetually send them to voicemail or have them leave a message with someone else?
- Mary Carmen
It's kind of difficult when it's people who have known me probably since before I knew me.
- Julian
Plum needs an iPod. And we need to see her playlist.
- Julian
(I confess I didn't see the double meaning until after I'd posted the comment.)
- RepoRat
Julian - She loves it when I play Morrissey/The Smiths and Queen. She also likes Peter Gabriel, Pulp, and Tori Amos. She hates violins and Coldplay. She will bite me if they come on. She's not a big fan of David Byrne, either.
- Katy S