We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:32:50 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification I should note that this note went out to Bill's new boss in yesterday's email dump. 1. Never give me work in the morning. Always wait until 1800 hours and then bring it to me. The challenge of a deadline is refreshing. 2. If it's really a "rush job," run in and interrupt me every 10 minutes inquire how it's going. That helps. Or even better, hover behind me, advising me at every keystroke. 3. Always leave without telling anyone where you're going. It gives me a chance to be creative when someone asks where you are. 4. If my... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:22:39 -0600 Hey, do you guys know me and the people I work for?!?!? WTF-Over? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69716 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69716 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:10:07 -0600 ... and then there are the ex-gunners. Well ... Cheers http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69685 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69685 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:41:03 -0600 Homebru - hmmmm, that doesn't sound like a story you heard... more like a nightmare you lived! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69644 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69644 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:03:56 -0600 If you are only now learning to actually use English, be sure to tell me frequently how badly I speak or understand my native language. Your inability to pronounce several critical consonants is not at all an impediment to understanding. When you assign me work items which will require special tools, do not trouble yourself to see that I have such. Nor should you worry about telling me where to go or to whom to apply for such. I know how to fill out an expense report for full retail. On those occasions when you do actually want me to talk with someone else, couch your desires in the form "send an email to India" or "call Cleveland". I can easily construct a list of everyone in the targeted geographic area from the online employee directory. Please do not fly into a jealous rage when you find me talking with the co-worker in the next cube. There is always a chance that he knows if the lights are expected back on. I may yet learn to carry extra flashlight batteries in my briefcase. If you decide to discuss the next phase of our project with me, be sure to use every nickname that the project/phase has acquired. This will improve my understanding of what the hell is going on. Especially when many of the nicknames for the next phase were applied to earlier phases of the same, similar, or completely different and unrelated projects. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69625 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69625 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:11:43 -0600 5. If you give me more than one job to do, don't tell me which is the priority. I am psychic. No, no, no, no, no. It is EVERY JOB is P-1..... I actually had a manager (when I was working field service) that did this. I mean EVERY JOB was "PRIORITY ONE". A fellow technician gave me some advice. He said "Ignore him. He won't remember what he asked for anyway, don't waste your effort." That worked until the manager went to a Time Systems (now Franklin Covey) time management course and started actually following up. I finally told him after a flurry of those "P-1" jobs hit my desk, when all jobs have the same priority, I get to pick and choose which ones to work on and complete. To say the least we had a tempestuous relationship as manager/peon. Heh. Oh, did I mention that the manager had been an ET on a sewer pipe? Not that I have anything against sewer pipe sailors. In fact, the guy that hired me fresh out of the navy was one. We spent most of the interview on submarines and targets (I was a carrier sailor AT/AIMD on the America now resting 6000ft down in the Atlantic. So he was right. It WAS a target!)]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69621 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69621 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:57:01 -0600 the story of "work" http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69613 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/tips_for_bosses.html#comment-69613 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:03:42 -0600