Rant: I'm on vacation, I'm dead to the world.

[rosejm]

Often we must step back and let the children do their damage so that ignorance gives way to knowledge and knowledge becomes experience.

And yes, that does mean the end product may suffer (for a while anyway).
That's also how your team becomes stronger and more independent.

 

[rkwhyte2]

When I worked IT support, I started making sure internet search skills was part of an interviewees skillset, as well as my employees. Looking up the numbers from a BSOD or other error message is pretty simple. In the old days it was looking things up in manuals, today it's all online. Critical thinking skills are, well, critical. There are times to reach out to the subject matter experts, or management, but that should be one of the last options. Reminds me of my stepson when he was little. He'd say he couldn't find something and I'd say to go look. He'd run off and come back in 2 minutes saying he looked everywhere but couldn't find it. I'd make him come with me when I went to look, so we actually did look everywhere. When we found whatever it was, I told him the next time I wanted him to look for it the way I did. I don't know if it's lack of education, lack of critical thinking skills, lack of on the job training, or what, but I notice a lot of employees who can't be bothered to figure things out on their own.

As former IT support I can relate. I tend to think they would go to you because they knew you could find the answer in mere moments and this was far easier than doing the actual work themselves. I also taught end users how to do simple things so I didn't have to do it for them. For some reason the people above me frowned on that. I never did understand that mindset.

 

[bwframe]

I guess thats it's been a long time since I was in charge of a staff.

Back when I was in charge, if my staff didn't follow instructions that I personally gave to them, it was a time to analyze my leadership management skills, (or lack of.)

It's kind of like parenting. You can whine about your problem unbehaved children all the time, or you can actually parent them.

It's your job to establish discipline (or not.)

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Sadly I'm not management, if I were I'd be making some sweeping changes to the team. This guy that bothered me, I've had to coach on many aspects of our job multiple times.

He says he keeps notes....but on paper..scraps of paper that is shuffled all over his desk and he often can't find his notes and refuses to digitize them and keep a file on his computer for easy searchability.


He frustrates the hell out of me. Early this summer when I went to Florida to visit my mom for a long weekend he had to call me to ask me stupid **** he should know.


I'm really happy y'all piled in here joining the rant.

 

[Hatin Since 87]

This may be more whining than ranting.

I told my team last week. I'm on vacation starting at Friday at 5pm. I don't know you, you don't know me, I'm dead.

Day 1 of my vacation, a guy on my team texts me at 11pm "are you still awake?"
I replied "I am"

He then asks me a stupid ass question he should know the answer to, or at least be able to google it.

I replied "you are texting me to ask a question that you can easily Google?"
I also provided the answer to his question.

He responded he's sorry to bug me and that he spend half an hour looking for the answer. I knew it off the top of my head, he should know it too.

So I googled it, found a page with the answer on it in 2 minutes and then send him the link along with a note saying "2min"

I specifically told them all I'm dead, and there are several people on the team he could have reached out to before me.

Wtf leave me alone this is my first proper vacation in 4 years.


Ffs.

Don’t reply.


I’m like you, it’s hard for me to just not reply knowing the idiots will just **** something up by trying to figure it out themselves, but damn people, we do this every single day for a living, memorize it and be as good as you can at your job. We have people that don’t know how to write a program after working here for 12 years. 12 years of doing this daily, and you don’t know? That shows me there’s no ambition. Then they complain they wanna make what someone who does know makes. Clown world.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Don’t reply.


I’m like you, it’s hard for me to just not reply knowing the idiots will just **** something up by trying to figure it out themselves, but damn people, we do this every single day for a living, memorize it and be as good as you can at your job. We have people that don’t know how to write a program after working here for 12 years. 12 years of doing this daily, and you don’t know? That shows me there’s no ambition. Then they complain they wanna make what someone who does know makes. Clown world.

That's exactly it. If he can't figure it out then if the problem how's up and management gets involved it will go south real fast. So it's just easier to help these idiots to keep management out of it.

 

[femurphy77]

I know. I answer calls/texts/emails from my people when I'm not working. The wife cusses me when I do, but I would rather take the time to assist them than have them go to someone else that will half-ass help them.

Unfortunately I'm in a position currently where one of my subordinates should be fired for multiple reasons and they won't let me so I'm back to answering calls from work when I'm away. C'est la vie I guess.

 

[Hatin Since 87]

That's exactly it. If he can't figure it out then if the problem how's up and management gets involved it will go south real fast. So it's just easier to help these idiots to keep management out of it.

Yup. And it saves you from having to spend most of your first day back going through and fixing his **** up.

 

[CindyE]

Seems impossible to be completely detached from work sometimes... it's exhausting.

 

[Indyhd]

Unfortunately I'm in a position currently where one of my subordinates should be fired for multiple reasons and they won't let me so I'm back to answering calls from work when I'm away. C'est la vie I guess.

Sounds like you need to start documenting the issues and give them a written write up of issues they need to address. Maybe after the third write up they could be let go and replaced with someone competent.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Seems impossible to be completely detached from work sometimes... it's exhausting.

I guess I'm weird. I actually log in to work on my days off to keep up with emails. I just don't like going into the next day "blind". Of course, I set my Skype and Microsoft Teams to make it look like I'm offline, so I'm "incognito".

 

[dprimm]

Last time my boss took a vacation I told him to turn off his phone. If we burned down he would see it on the news.

 

[Haven]

I miss having a work phone seperate from my personal phone. When I had a work phone, I would turn it off when I was on vacation.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

I miss having a work phone seperate from my personal phone. When I had a work phone, I would turn it off when I was on vacation.

At jobs where I had one, I only kept it on while on the clock or while on call. I'm usually really good and disconnecting, but I don't have a work phone now so my team has my cell number. I think after being a bit ****** with last night's disturbance he will respect my time.

 

[foszoe]

Businesses can force you to use your cellphone for business?

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Businesses can force you to use your cellphone for business?

Yea I think it comes with the territory.

I don't know about other industries but in salary IT positions you're never really "off the clock"

One thing that comes with working from home that means the boss knows if I'm home I can easily jump on my laptop to help when **** hits the fan.

The lines of work and home are very blurred.

To be honest I really struggled with the transition. I used to have a drive to smoke a pipe and decompress so I can have a home brain vs work brain bc I left it behind. Now I have a hard time letting go. So after work I sit in my spare room watch TV and smokes cigar or two so I have some me time to adjust.

 

[BigErnNP]

I completely understand what you're saying there FMJ. After starting WFH, there just isn't separation in work and life brain time. No decompression from the stress of the day.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

I completely understand what you're saying there FMJ. After starting WFH, there just isn't separation in work and life brain time. No decompression from the stress of the day.

My good friends Padron and Gurka help with this problem.

 

[foszoe]

Yea I think it comes with the territory.

I don't know about other industries but in salary IT positions you're never really "off the clock"

One thing that comes with working from home that means the boss knows if I'm home I can easily jump on my laptop to help when **** hits the fan.

The lines of work and home are very blurred.

To be honest I really struggled with the transition. I used to have a drive to smoke a pipe and decompress so I can have a home brain vs work brain bc I left it behind. Now I have a hard time letting go. So after work I sit in my spare room watch TV and smokes cigar or two so I have some me time to adjust.

Wow.

I figured if they mandated a cellphone they had to pay for it.

 

[BigRed]

Just an honest tip....

Years ago my better half and I were trying to get away for a week....LONG overdue.

I let co-workers, partners, and customers know I would not be available well in advance.

Last day before leaving, I made sure one of my partners knew I would not have my phone, computer, etc.

I gave him a number to a burner....said that would be the only number I could be contacted at, but would not have it with me....same for the family.

Told one partner that if the shop could not run a few days without me, we need to revisit several comp matters.

Have done it ever since.

Proper planning works with time away from the shop just like it does for time in the shop....

My devices do go in a can.

ETA: I likewise make it a point to NEVER call folks when they are away on time away.