Official Chit-Chat Thread

[kronin323]

Here's a names and company name removed version of the email I sent. Hopefully that doesn't make it too hard to follow along.

Hello ______,

This is ______, CV7 operator on A shift. I'd like to take a few minutes of your time to express my feelings and concerns about recent events in the cable department.

I'd first like to apologize for not speaking with you face to face about this. Because of the difference in our schedules and the amount of things I'd like to say I felt it would be best to use this format so that everything I have to say can be said clearly. If after reading this you'd like to talk face to face just let me know and we can find a way to work it out.

The main issue I would like to address is the recent insisting by CV4 operator ______ to have the scheduling of overtime on CV4 changed. For the last few days we've heard nothing but complaints from ______ about the way the overtime is being handled and how he feels he is being treated unfairly in regards to how the schedule has been. His complaints are propped up by statements that aren't true, and he's been adjusting his argument as I've countered them with factual statements.

His first claim, before his meeting with you, was that he was working every Saturday. This statement is completely false. For some time now he has had an arrangement with B shift CV7 operator ______ that has kept him from working overtime on Saturdays. At the same time, we've been rotating the Saturday overtime bi-weekly between myself, ______, and ______. That means he works one Saturday every six weeks. He still gets 2 days off when that happens, even though the days aren't connected. On the weeks he covers a Friday or Sunday he gets his two connected days off, which is supposedly what he wants. ______ has even had his time cards pulled to verify that this is the case.

After that argument was proven wrong ______ claimed that ______ told him he wouldn't work Saturdays anymore. This is also false. I verified this myself Sunday night (7-12-15) with ______ while I was covering overtime on CV4. Due to a visitation arrangement for his children Saturday is the best day for him to work and as of 7-12-15 he confirmed with me that he had no plans to change that. That leaves everything exactly as it has been with ______ not working another Saturday until August 22nd. Until that date he would have his two connected days off every week.

When this was brought up ______'s initial reaction was, "Fine, just leave it how it is. I'll just stay on the same schedule." Apparently since then that has changed because I was informed of a new overtime schedule last night (7-14-15) by ______. Please allow me to explain my objections to this decision.

First of all, ______ is responsible for covering one line, CV4. He hasn't been trained to run CV7 or CV8, nor would I trust his abilities as an operator on either of those lines. This is important for several reasons. Number one, he does not cover vacation overtime for CV7 or CV8, yet we cover all overtime for CV4, vacation or otherwise. This means that you have five operators capable of covering extra days for three lines on nights, but only two operators to cover overtime for CV7 and CV8 at any given time due to the nature of our rotation. In that situation you are left with no choice but to add even more overtime onto everyone but ______, as has been the case ever since he started. That doesn't sound very fair to me, yet none of the cable operators have seen fit to come to your office and complain about it besides ______.

Secondly, ______ has only seen a fraction of the overtime myself, ______, ______, and ______ have. I'd like to remind you of the situation with ______'s injury. While he was on light duty he did everything he could to stay on light duty and avoid returning to the line. There were several occasions that I talked to him during his light duty and he told me all about how great it was to work in the lab. Air conditioned, take breaks whenever you want, not running a line, the list goes on and on. As rumor has it he even went so far as to have his doctor put on his light duty instructions that he could only work in the lab. What a slap in the face to every guy that had to pull his weight while he was hurt. And this is the guy I'm supposed to want to help out? To change four other operators schedules for to address a problem that isn't even a problem when you check the facts? I don't think so.

I understand his position, I really do. Everyone in cable is burnt out on overtime. We've been covering CV4 short handed since before he was hired, after he was hired and got hurt, and ever since ______ got fired. What ______ either refuses to see or just flat out doesn't care about is how his selfish demands for a schedule change affects others in cable. All it takes is 1 person taking vacation, meetings scheduled on days off, or someone (probably ______) doing something to get themselves hurt or fired and we're right back to 6 and 7 day weeks in cable. I'm not willing to make that sacrifice for him a second time.

If it were someone else, I'd at least listen to what they had to say and help them if I could. As it stands now we have a guy who just recently hired on and didn't work overtime while training for three months. The he got hurt and didn't work overtime for a month and a half. Even still we all try to handle the overtime like adults and help him out when he needed specific days off and still he asks for more. Even the way he went about trying to get things changed was disgusting. He went straight to you, over ______'s head, and tried to get his idea fast track approved before anyone could object and really see how bad it was for everyone but him. Even the schedule ______ came up with after the original idea was never proposed to ______ or ______, but that's what ______ went with because it shut ______ up.

I won't do it. If that means that my time at ______ comes to an end then so be it. Starting today I'll be spending what little time off I do have looking for another job. To make concessions for someone like ______ is an insult to everyone who has worked so hard because of the slack he couldn't take up. I'm a damn good cable operator. Even when things aren't going right I take pride in solving the problems and making a quality product. I'm consistently in the top one or two for production across all of cable and I work my absolute hardest because I take pride in what I do and I take pride in doing it at a level that not many people could. To ask me and everyone else in cable to change to accommodate someone who can't even cover our lines when we take vacation or need time off is ridiculous. I had to deal with stuff like this with ______ and I damn sure won't do it again for ______. I'm sorry but a line has to be drawn and for me this is it.

Let me finish by telling you how this experience has changed my view of ______ and my future within it. Several months back when the CV6 conversion was announced I had high hopes of landing a day job in my own department. By my count with CV4 on rotation and a full rotation on CV6, three day jobs were on the horizon. I know that I don't have the seniority of other guys but I hoped that being a current cable operator without write ups, points, quality issues, etc would be enough to at least get me considered for one of those day jobs. Now I question whether I even want to be a part of the company. If the reward for hard work and sacrifice is that someone who whines about a problem that doesn't exist gets their way at my expense, I want no part of it.

And with that I'm going to close this letter and enjoy the rest of my time off. I'll be back to work on Friday as scheduled. Thanks for your time-

______.

If you're receptive, some constructive criticism...

With a lot of experience writing emails to executives & management, I've found that an email like this really doesn't get read.

Yes, my long posts here may indicate the contrary, but I don't write those for the same audience...

I've found the best way to communicate with mgt is to make a simple, concise statement that summarizes the content of your message at the beginning. Then follow up with details in case they care to read it, but tailor that initial summary as if that's the only thing they'll read, because it very well may be, at best...

Another thing is to not give ultimatums, whether directly stated or implied. You may have someone sympathetic towards your argument, but an ultimatum is a challenge to their authority and you typically lose those, regardless of the logic behind your stance...

Also, messages that express frustration are better sent after a delay. Write them, proof them, then sit on them until the next day. Proof again, then decide if that's really what you want to send.

Basically, managers, regardless of what they say, don't want people to bring them problems. That gives them more work. They want solutions. The best way to report a problem is to pair it with a solution of how to fix it, with the fix being the focus of the message.

Finally, face-to-face is always more effective. Whether that's an email that sets up a face-to-face or just "dropping by", pinning the person down and talking to them will better demand their attention.

That said, I hope this works out for you. You're a smart guy and you're capable of a lot; cool the emotions and strategize for the long game, this company or elsewhere...

 

[discodave]

I've found the best way to communicate with mgt is to make a simple, concise statement that summarizes the content of your message at the beginning.

In the military we call that the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front). That way they know what they are reading before they read it.

I agree with Kronin on all points. Never send an email when you're mad about something. 9 times out of 10 it will come of hostile and you'll regret sending it a few hours later.

I tell all of my people that if they're going to come to me with something like this (a problem), that they better have a well thought out solution to that problem already identified. That way they're not just coming to me bitching all the time just for the sake of bitching. It forces them to see their problem from another side and to analyze it more.

I think your email was fine overall and I don't think you'll be losing your job over this. Hopefully they WILL read all of it and want to sit down with you and get into more detail about things.

 

[vmurphyslaw420]

So I sent an email to my boss today. There is some serious drama taking place at work and my email addresses the lies being said and also leverages my own ability vs the person who is arguing to have things changed. I can't really get into detail about it but there's a fair chance I'll be looking for a new job.

Its gotten to the point that I couldn't go unheard anymore so instead of a face to face meeting that might show more anger than logic I opted for an email. From what I've heard word of this spread very quick and all the supervisors support me. There's a good chance that if my suggestions are followed someone else will quit or get fired and I'll be back to 72-84 hour weeks again.

Very stressed.

I'm at 6o hour weeks and this feels to much.what are you doing 7 12s

 

[vmurphyslaw420]

In the military we call that the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front). That way they know what they are reading before they read it.

I agree with Kronin on all points. Never send an email when you're mad about something. 9 times out of 10 it will come of hostile and you'll regret sending it a few hours later.

I tell all of my people that if they're going to come to me with something like this (a problem), that they better have a well thought out solution to that problem already identified. That way they're not just coming to me bitching all the time just for the sake of bitching. It forces them to see their problem from another side and to analyze it more.

I think your email was fine overall and I don't think you'll be losing your job over this. Hopefully they WILL read all of it and want to sit down with you and get into more detail about things.

Solutions cost to much.

 

[Litos]

"...if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem..."

emails like that get deleted - too long - too much fluff - too much complaining - too much uuuuughghghgh.

nobody wants to read that garbage, especially bubba joe that probably just got access to email last year...

hell, I read the first sentence and wanted to throw my screen out of my 7th story window...

 

[discodave]

Solutions cost to much.

I tell them to come to me with solutions so it forces them to analyze what they're complaining about. When they actually do analyze it from a "leadership" perspective it usually works. It also gives them experience in that style of thinking so that they're more prepared for it when they get promoted and are sitting in my chair (or one similar). If they don't understand then I explain it all to them and they usually end up walking away with a good understanding of why things are the way they are. Example..... I had a Sailor complaining about working 12 hours shifts. He said they were too long and boring. I asked him to come up with an alternative (8 hour shifts). With 75 Sailors making up the two 12 hours shifts it offered them many more days off (they only worked 13 days a month). If I switched them to 8 hours shifts they then had to all work many more days per month, attend more turnover briefings, etc. In the end they all agreed they had a good thing going with the 12 hours shifts. Also.... with the 12 hour shifts they were allowed to work out while on shift and with the 8 hour shifts they wouldn't be. Hell, I've been on deployments where I worked 18-20 hours every day for seven months straight without a single day off. Of course that's not sustainable, but it does offer some perspective on how bad things can really be.

 

[digi7alph0enix]

As far as the constructive feedback goes, I considered most of that. I actually did wait a day before sending it as well.

The way its written is how I felt it would have the most impact on the person it was written to. He's not a typical management type. He started out years ago doing a job similar to mine but with much less expensive stuff and ended up in management as a result of dumb luck, not his qualifications. If the whole picture isn't painted for him he makes terrible decisions, and doesn't have the foresight to see repercussions before they happen.

Anyway it is what it is. If it means I find another place to work then I'll do that.

 

[digi7alph0enix]

I'm at 6o hour weeks and this feels to much.what are you doing 7 12s

12-14hr days, yeah.

 

[discodave]

As far as the constructive feedback goes, I considered most of that. I actually did wait a day before sending it as well.

The way its written is how I felt it would have the most impact on the person it was written to. He's not a typical management type. He started out years ago doing a job similar to mine but with much less expensive stuff and ended up in management as a result of dumb luck, not his qualifications. If the whole picture isn't painted for him he makes terrible decisions, and doesn't have the foresight to see repercussions before they happen.

Anyway it is what it is. If it means I find another place to work then I'll do that.

I think you'll be fine man. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[digi7alph0enix]

I think you'll be fine man. Let us know how it turns out!

I doubt I'll hear anything until Friday when I go back. Working nights makes it very hard to catch up with this guy who works days and is gone when I get there.

Another reason I chose email was that I didn't think I could get uninterrupted time with him long enough to say what I needed to say. At least an email he can read and reply whenever, or just call me when he has time.