Am I looking to much into this?

[IHateMyJob2004]

Today, our project lead came into our makeshift lab. An enclosed cubical with high walls instead of normal work areas. I am "on loan" to a different dept at my company.

He said, "John Doe... and this also pertains to you guys, so listen up" where I'm "John Doe" and there were two others.

But he said my name first, and the delay was as though he added the others just to make it look like I wasn't the target. This was hen he walked into the lab.

He basically said someone thinks we talk to much. We were all talking a the end of the day Friday. For about 2 hours. Nothing offensive. The typical engineer talk about Monty Python and other nerdy things. About 50% of the talks were work related and the other half, was just joking around. In short, the project lead said someone talked to him about it, and wanted him to "talk to us, before he/she went to higher powers". The term "higher powers" scares me half to death.

The scary part is, it could have been their dept manager referring to talking to my supervisor (as I'm in a different department). Thus the "higher powers". A scenerio I'm not to fond of, but could clear with my supervisor. But this is something I could get fired over.

There are about 3 others I suspect it could be. Point is, that would mean it's somoen that made a general comment about us.

Am I paranoid? "Probably" Your thoughts?

cliff notes Just read the post. It's 1-2 minutes of reading.

PS: I will talk to the project lead tommorrow about this as it has scared me half to death. He's pretty cool and I know he'd keep it between us and maybe party X. Hopefully he'll calm my nerves. But I want the truth.

Off to drink more :beer::beer::beer::beer:

EDIT: I jsut figured out it is down to the dept maanger or one other person. The otehr two were not in on Friday afternon (flex hours)

 

[mdchesne]

SHHHHHHH! It's quiet hour. no talking in the cubical. just stop talking for 2 hours about garbage. do it on your own time. the reason he said your name first was becasue you probally are the first one to initiate a 2-hour long conversation and keep it running

 

[djheater]

Find another job. That one isn't worth it.

 

[Wallydraigle]

Just quit. I wouldn't work there.

 

[Umberger]

do you work while you're talking, or is it wasted company time? if you're working, i don't see the problem, unless it's loud or distracting enough to bother others that work in the same area.

 

[Slacker]

Fukk it, you hate your job anyway............

never let 'em see ya sweat.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: mdchesne
SHHHHHHH! It's quiet hour. no talking in the cubical. just stop talking for 2 hours about garbage. do it on your own time. the reason he said your name first was becasue you probally are the first one to initiate a 2-hour long conversation and keep it running

Bahhh. I busted my tail harder than anyone else last week. I don't recall who initiated any discussion. And that realy doesn't matter.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: Umberger
do you work while you're talking, or is it wasted company time? if you're working, i don't see the problem, unless it's loud or distracting enough to bother others that work in the same area.

I agree. But professional courtesy, in my opinion, is to come tell us to our face. ESPECIALLY IF IT IS THE DEPARTMENT MANAGER!

I admit, it did get a bit loud and boisterous. But no one said anything.

As to other's comments. I am considering making this project my last. It will top off my resume. java code that integrates XML (via JAXB) and SVG graphics. It's a good Java program using modern design principles and methodlogies. I might get into the most ocmplex embedded project at my company next though. The steering wheel to a nuclear powered submarine! I'd stick around for that, for experience fif nothing else.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: Slacker
Fukk it, you hate your job anyway............

never let 'em see ya sweat.

Hhaahahhahaa, I had a look on my face when he was telling us... that was something like "you gotta be fvcking kidding me". I wear my emotions on my face and I care less what people think of it. Probably not a good policy, but I don't care. It's who I am.

 

[Al Neri]

don't be so attached to your job

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: matstars
don't be so attached to your job

Only income for the family. Have a baby. Wife in school. Mortgage. Need to eat.

I have no choice.

 

[arcenite]

Take it as a warning. Shut the f!ck up at work.

 

[HN]

get an old school clackety clack IBM keyboard and hammer away at that sucker while you're coding. then they'll be begging for you to talk instead

 

[themroc27]

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004

Originally posted by: mdchesne
SHHHHHHH! It's quiet hour. no talking in the cubical. just stop talking for 2 hours about garbage. do it on your own time. the reason he said your name first was becasue you probally are the first one to initiate a 2-hour long conversation and keep it running

Bahhh. I busted my tail harder than anyone else last week. I don't recall who initiated any discussion. And that realy doesn't matter.

working hard, busting your tail, being better at your job - that stuff counts for nothing with a small-minded, rule-obsessed, hierarchy-climbing manager. start applying for other jobs

 

[BooGiMaN]

i bet you were singled out because you were the loudest...was this after normal work hours?

 

[sniperruff]

if you were fired then you'd be gone today already. don't freak out and just do your job and go home.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: HN
get an old school clackety clack IBM keyboard and hammer away at that sucker while you're coding. then they'll be begging for you to talk instead

AHahahahahahahahah

Actually, I might start logging when others start talking about the boston Red Sox hours on end. So if they ever threaten me, I'll just show them it. I doubt they want to fire half the staff.

And eys, I might start doing this. Today, three people spent 30+ minutes talking about the Red Sox. One was t het project lead and the other was one of the otehrs tat "got warned"

 

[mdchesne]

yeaa...... um..... If it's not too much trouble....... IIIIIIII'm gonna need those TPS reports.....





.....Oh.....and we need someone to work saturday and sunday this weekend...... so if you could do that, greeeaaat....

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: BooGiMaN
i bet you were singled out because you were the loudest...was this after normal work hours?

Well, it was 1-2 PM or so on a Friday. So normal workign hours. Actually, two of the 3 otehrs I thought it might have been were not in on Friday afternoon. So, I just narrowed it down to two. The dept manager or a minion.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: BooGiMaN
i bet you were singled out because you were the loudest...was this after normal work hours?

I knwo to check my vouice, as do the others. Laughing on the other hand, I get a little loud. So that might have been the "trigger"

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I would have the "What's the worse that can happen?" attitude if I had enoguh cash to pay off my mortgage. But, that is not the case. Maybe in 5 years or so. That's the goal anyways.

 

[montanafan]

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004
Today, our project lead came into our makeshift lab. An enclosed cubical with high walls instead of normal work areas. I am "on loan" to a different dept at my company.

He said, "John Doe... and this also pertains to you guys, so listen up" where I'm "John Doe" and there were two others.

But he said my name first, and the delay was as though he added the others just to make it look like I wasn't the target. This was hen he walked into the lab.

He basically said someone thinks we talk to much. We were all talking a the end of the day Friday. For about 2 hours. Nothing offensive. The typical engineer talk about Monty Python and other nerdy things. About 50% of the talks were work related and the other half, was just joking around. In short, the project lead said someone talked to him about it, and wanted him to "talk to us, before he/she went to higher powers". The term "higher powers" scares me half to death.

The scary part is, it could have been their dept manager referring to talking to my supervisor (as I'm in a different department). Thus the "higher powers". A scenerio I'm not to fond of, but could clear with my supervisor. But this is something I could get fired over.

There are about 3 others I suspect it could be. Point is, that would mean it's somoen that made a general comment about us.

Am I paranoid? "Probably" Your thoughts?

cliff notes Just read the post. It's 1-2 minutes of reading.

PS: I will talk to the project lead tommorrow about this as it has scared me half to death. He's pretty cool and I know he'd keep it between us and maybe party X. Hopefully he'll calm my nerves. But I want the truth.

Off to drink more :beer::beer::beer::beer:

The bolded part makes it sound to me that you annoyed someone in the office who heard you and assumed you were not being productive. They told your project lead to talk to you as a warning that if it continues they will report it to the "higher powers". It could have been the department head thinking that the new guy might be a problem getting his guys off task, thus the reason for your name coming up. Sounds like it's just a warning that "that's not the way we do things around here" and if it continues it'll be reported to your supervisor. So just knock off the goofing around and everything will be fine. If they wanted to report it to your supervisor they would have just gone ahead and done it instead of sending the project manager to give you a warning.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: montanafan

Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004
Today, our project lead came into our makeshift lab. An enclosed cubical with high walls instead of normal work areas. I am "on loan" to a different dept at my company.

He said, "John Doe... and this also pertains to you guys, so listen up" where I'm "John Doe" and there were two others.

But he said my name first, and the delay was as though he added the others just to make it look like I wasn't the target. This was hen he walked into the lab.

He basically said someone thinks we talk to much. We were all talking a the end of the day Friday. For about 2 hours. Nothing offensive. The typical engineer talk about Monty Python and other nerdy things. About 50% of the talks were work related and the other half, was just joking around. In short, the project lead said someone talked to him about it, and wanted him to "talk to us, before he/she went to higher powers". The term "higher powers" scares me half to death.

The scary part is, it could have been their dept manager referring to talking to my supervisor (as I'm in a different department). Thus the "higher powers". A scenerio I'm not to fond of, but could clear with my supervisor. But this is something I could get fired over.

There are about 3 others I suspect it could be. Point is, that would mean it's somoen that made a general comment about us.

Am I paranoid? "Probably" Your thoughts?

cliff notes Just read the post. It's 1-2 minutes of reading.

PS: I will talk to the project lead tommorrow about this as it has scared me half to death. He's pretty cool and I know he'd keep it between us and maybe party X. Hopefully he'll calm my nerves. But I want the truth.

Off to drink more :beer::beer::beer::beer:

The bolded part makes it sound to me that you annoyed someone in the office who heard you and assumed you were not being productive. They told your project lead to talk to you as a warning that if it continues they will report it to the "higher powers". It could have been the department head thinking that the new guy might be a problem getting his guys off task, thus the reason for your name coming up. Sounds like it's just a warning that "that's not the way we do things around here" and if it continues it'll be reported to your supervisor. So just knock off the goofing around and everything will be fine. If they wanted to report it to your supervisor they would have just gone ahead and done it instead of sending the project manager to give you a warning.

Probably, but it's not as though the others went unheard. So I'm probably being paranoid about me being the target.

As for the "new guy". I've got the most experiece compared t othe others I was talking to. I've been there over 5 years. I'm "on loan" to their department so the term "new guy" might aply to me. One is a new hire and the other has been there about a year. We are slightly behind schedule for the project, but looking at progress charts for their department, all their projects are like this.

I think the person who said whatever to the project lead did do a courtesy to not involve management. Unless it was the departmetn manager to whome I am loan to. I'd hate for him to be mad at me or any of us. That';s why the term "higher power" pissses me off. He might try gettign me canend while the people under him are worse than I am in terms of talking all day. His non-invasive attitude will never cause him to discipline his employees, but he might threaten me i na manner that might end my employment. That's such BS.

Going forward, I am not Fing around much. And I'm going to be a d!ck about getting us ahead of schedule. I'm good at it. I'm a jerk, but in a way wher e people want to get stuf done.

OT:
I've been a lead before (web page, but mostlythe windows servic part that was wrtiten in C/C++ that interfaced with soem COTS software and an Oracle DB). I know how to lead and get people to get things done. Something the current project lead has no idea how to do, even though he is VERY GOOD with the customer and very knowledgable in the technical part. I'm better with cost sceduale and cracking the whip as needed and getting peopel to get things done.

 

[spidey07]

ahhhhh.....politics.

mmmmmm. Manipulation is good.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: spidey07
ahhhhh.....politics.

mmmmmm. Manipulation is good.

I'll start manipulating them MFers. I'm very good at Fing wtih people from a psycological standpoint. All I have to do is bide my time. Several weeks. Then mention to others how my wife is in school and I have ababy. Bla bla bla. It will work on a chick. Then drop soemthign about how much I need this job. To most, it will be a normal covnersation, but the reaction by the "cry baby" will be obvious. It's easy to do stuff like this. All you have to do is come out of no where with a loose reference to loosing your job. Most people will laugh. The "person in question" won't laugh. Kinda like when acop pulls over a person on teh highway and askes "Any dead bodies in your trunk?" The normal reaction is to laugh or say, "Oh I got to of them". A serious response will prompt a search of your vehicle. Blahhh .. to much work. I won't actually do this, but I used to be good at it.