PrincessHeather Just Keeps Swimming

[Strawberry Squatcake]

But if you explain how the details work, then possibly they may understand why they have to whatever it is they're doing and therefore remember how to do it. I spent like ten minutes explaining in great detail to a new student worker how the phone system worked and why they used X to do one thing with the phone and Y for the other and she says that she thinks she'll actually remember the difference now. (No one can ever remember the difference. Doing things with the phone more complicated than answering it is the thing the students most often get wrong if you ask them to show you how to do something.)

My point exactly. I want to explain stuff to people. But no one wants to write more than two sentences down on paper, or say more than one or two small details when training. It's absurd, really, how little professional people are expected to do! And it's not fair to those who are willing and want to learn. They lose the "why" behind the scenes that they need for it to make sense to them. So frustrating. But I guess "people complain" that they're getting too much information and it's "all so confusing." Sigh. I guess this is the world we live in and I need to adapt!

[msuroo]

My point exactly. I want to explain stuff to people. But no one wants to write more than two sentences down on paper, or say more than one or two small details when training. It's absurd, really, how little professional people are expected to do! And it's not fair to those who are willing and want to learn. They lose the "why" behind the scenes that they need for it to make sense to them. So frustrating. But I guess "people complain" that they're getting too much information and it's "all so confusing." Sigh. I guess this is the world we live in and I need to adapt!

I refuse. This must drive my direct reports crazy, because every time I explain something, I always go into the excruciating details of the why and the how. It's important to me that our work is more than just numbers on a page. "Because that's how we did it last month" is not a good enough reason for anything.

But alas, it never sticks. And if something doesn't look exactly the same as last month, the questions come right back.

Keep fighting the good fight though - I'm with you in spirit!

PS, Heather - so jealous that you're buying 1/4 of a cow. I've been talking about splitting a side with a colleague for a while, but we've never pulled the trigger.

[PrincessHeather]

Lively discussion of the pros/cons of trying to get people to understand things... makes me a little glad to know I'm not the only one frustrated by such things.

Roo, I am picking up my cow today!!! So excited! I have so many plans for that delicious beef

Coming soon, my challenge summary of doom... not real excited with how I did.

[PrincessHeather]

WEEK SIX RECAP

Fitness/Diet Goals:

•Running: Continued…: Ran 2/3 goal miles (from the fall frenzy challenge)

•Bench Like a Boss : Up to 65 pounds working weight! (No improvement to report)

•Slay the Soul Crushing Stress Demon: 2/2 hours of "me time" (Shopping and pumpkin carving)

Life Goal:

•Grad School Focus: 4/8 hours of studying completed. Major paper completed, all diuscussion boards completed.

[PrincessHeather]

CHALLENGE SUMMARY

Fitness/Diet Goals:

•Running: Continued…: This one is all around a big fail. There were three weeks of the challenge where I didn't run AT ALL, and total mileage was 4 miles for the three weeks I did try. Still not able to run 5K and certainly probably worse off here than I was last time I focused on running.

GRADE: F (+0 STA)

•Bench Like a Boss : Goal was to be able to do 5x70, I am able to do a fairly solid 5x65, so I saw some gain, but not the goal. It was sort of a reach, so I'm pleased with this one.

GRADE: B (+ 3.75 STR)

•Slay the Soul Crushing Stress Demon: 12/12 hours of "me time"... shocking, the most fun and/or relaxing portion of the challenge is the one I got 100% on. Still, accomplished goal.

GRADE: A (+2 CON)

Life Goal:

•Grad School Focus: Totaled 44/48 hours of studying. They were not all perfectly focused, but they were done. I still procrastinated like crazy,a and really mostly slacked off. The numbers are not a true picture of my school efforts, they way overestimate my resolve.

GRADE: C (+1.5 WIS)

OVERALL GRADE: C

Starting Stats:

STR 20 DEX 7.5 STA 9.25 CON 9.25 WIS 8.5 CHA 6

Height: 5'2"

Weight: 125.0 lbs

Natural Waist: 27.5"

Waist @ Belly Button: 32"

Hips: 36.5"

Thighs: 21.5"

Calves: 14"

Arms: 10.25"

Ending Stats:

STR 23.75 DEX 7.5 STA 9.25 CON 11.25 WIS 10 CHA 6

Height: 5'2"

Weight:

Natural Waist:

Waist @ Belly Button:

Hips:

Thighs:

Calves:

Arms:

[Hermione Gainser]

Yay for me time! I'm glad you had that. It's muy importante! And bench is awesome! Kudos on the progress! I'm about to embark on a ridiculous bench program so I'm hoping mine will go up up up, too!

[PrincessHeather]

Thanks Miss Laura! I'm sort of pumped to start a new challenge. I like that I can feel like I'm having a fresh start every 6 weeks!

[PrincessHeather]

Guess who gets to do a telephone unemployment hearing?? ME! Oh joy.

[Strawberry Squatcake]

Ugh. That sucks about the telephone unemployment mearing. My sister does those and she hates them. I guess lawyers are jerks to HR people? I mean, it doesn't surprise me. But it's like someone gets fired for not doing their job, then it falls back on the HR person like it's THEIR fault this person got fired. Even though, clearly, they were fired for a good reason. It's such a battle. And KS is an employment at will state. I don't really "get" how unemployment even exists... Even for layoffs. I mean I know it sucks, but employers should be able to choose to pay severance for layoffs, if THEY can. And if they can't, sorry, that's the way life goes. (ANd I say this knowing it could affect me, but that's why I have an emergency savings, and would be willing to do ANY job if I got laid off to pay bills.)

OK, off the soapbox.

YAY for your bench improving! My upper body stuff improves at a snail's pace. I stick and stick and stick at one weight forever. So any increase I wish someone would drop balloons from the ceiling and throw confetti on me!

And here's to "me" time! Sounds like you've earned some for tonight!

[PrincessHeather]

Yup, HR tends to be a catchall for anything unpleasant. The thing about this case is that she chose to resign the day after she was informed she would be let go, so it's a bit blurry as to whether she should be entitled to the unemployment benefits. I've never done one of these hearings before, so I'm not sure how the laws in South Dakota are. But the girl has been into my office twice now complaining about having to do this hearing. Its being mandated by the court to determine if she received benefits she might not deserve, so I can't fix it for her. She doens't seem to get that. Tonight, I am going to be making two batches of lasagna with some of the ground beef I got last night from our 1/4 cow! If I don't get to it on this thread, I'll made sure to post the freezer before and afters on my new challenge thread.

[Strawberry Squatcake]

Yup, HR tends to be a catchall for anything unpleasant. The thing about this case is that she chose to resign the day after she was informed she would be let go, so it's a bit blurry as to whether she should be entitled to the unemployment benefits. I've never done one of these hearings before, so I'm not sure how the laws in South Dakota are. But the girl has been into my office twice now complaining about having to do this hearing. Its being mandated by the court to determine if she received benefits she might not deserve, so I can't fix it for her. She doens't seem to get that. Tonight, I am going to be making two batches of lasagna with some of the ground beef I got last night from our 1/4 cow! If I don't get to it on this thread, I'll made sure to post the freezer before and afters on my new challenge thread.

In Kansas if you quit, you don't get unemployment. That's why I never understand why people, when offered the, "Either you can quit or we'll fire you" take the quitting option. It revokes their unemployment. Generally people here get fired and leave the same day, so I don't know what happens if they get fired but stay on a week. We've sometimes let people, if they choose the option to resign (and write a resignation letter stating they're resigning) stay on their two weeks as we would most other resignations (depending on security level of the job). Obviously depends on the person, the situation, etc. So someone that's not doing their job and realizes it might get to stay on an extra two weeks and takes the risk for the pretty much free paycheck those two weeks, and that saves us from unemployment. Whereas the employee, I guess, could see a free two weeks of pay as opposed to MAYBE getting unemployment. Who knows. It's also probably partially pride?

We've also had people who put in their two weeks and we pay them those two weeks but because of their security level we don't let them actually work it. For us (I'm sure same with military) it's a balancing act between protecting unemployment and internal security. Such a mess.

[PrincessHeather]

I think that's probably the way that unemployment works here as well, if you choose to leave voluntarily that's on you and you don't get unemployment. From what I understand having now reviewed the case file, she is saying that she felt like it would look better to resign than to "be fired." But she wasn't fired, she was a newish employee being let go while still in the probationary period. She was simply not a good fit for the job, and our union contract allows us to release people who aren't doing well within the first 6 months. The letter she received when that decision was made clearly states it's not due to misconduct or any kind of punishment, and she can be rehired with us if something that is a better fit were to come available. I feel bad for her, but I can't change the facts or the law, and the judge is going to decide what is fair for her.

That's interesting though about the people who get two free weeks of pay, luckily that's not an issue for most of our folks. But we do look to be having quite a bit of personnel shuffling in the works, so my ranting and venting will very likely continue in my next challenge thread. This place is going crazy!

[PrincessHeather]

Is it time for the next challenge yet??? I want it to be time!

I did the unemployment hearing yesterday via teleconference. Boy was that nervewracking. I have nothing to hide, and it honestly doens't effect me much whether they find in favor of my company or not, but I was sworn in and they were tape recording and I just felt kinds lost. The judge actually sort of helped me along, towards the end he asked if I felt a document was important and should be admitted to evidence... Yes, yes it should, thanks! SO yeah, fund times. Today, girl came into the office crying because her manager is a major league beyotch, and yelled at her for not taking her break on time when she was busy selling a $2,000 smart tv to a customer... O_o Are you kidding me? We're yelling at an employee for not taking a break and making the store money, that's effin brilliant. So excited for my long weekend. Next two weeks are both 4 days only, I love November!

[msuroo]

Is it time for the next challenge yet??? I want it to be time!

Haha, me too. I love new challenge day - so much optimism and eagerness around here!

[Blueberries]

Haha, me too. I love new challenge day - so much optimism and eagerness around here!

Me too!

Side note: I'm really not sure exactly how I managed to miss your entire thread until today. Ugh, sorry. I have got to learn how to subscribe to threads so I don't miss them.

[PrincessHeather]

Side note: I'm really not sure exactly how I managed to miss your entire thread until today. Ugh, sorry. I have got to learn how to subscribe to threads so I don't miss them.

I have my default settings set to subscribe to all threads I post in, however, I never bother to click on my profile to see the subscription posts (I don't have it send emails, my inbox is a mess as it is). BUT it does help me by putting a little green check on threads in the forum, so I know where I've said something and can check for new stuff. You're not alone in having trouble keeping track of the craziness here