Librarian Ire

Monday, December 13, 2004

Quick! Pass Me the Stupid Stick.

Have you ever been asked to do a report by an idiot? Oh, I mean your boss? How about by a boss who is not only lacking intellectually, but is completely without foundation in the department she supervises and the workings of those in her profession?

So, I was told that I was to write a report on this hodge-podge of statistics that this idiot, I mean boss, requested of the data people. This was it. No direction on what I was to say, how a was to say it, what I was to focus on, who the audience was, if she had requested the right sort of information etc. I admit, I forgot who I was dealing with and I processed the information in the manner that I was trained to - being an intellectual with a lot of higher education and a firm background in my field. First time I gave a summation the boss, I mean idiot, came back with an excruciating amount of dumbass questions: "What is this data?" "Why did you request these statistics?" "What do these terms mean?" etc. Ok, she requested the data and she didn't understand the numbers she got back, the categories, what they meant? This lady is supposed to be in charge of circulation and she couldn't even deduce what common circulation/library terms and categories meant (like item_id, location_code, status, filled requests). So, I got my rude awakening "You forgot Loki that you work for an idiot. Put her in her place and try to understand her primitive grunt-speak." So, she tells me she wants me to do up this data I've reported to her into a formal written report. Ok, she poo-poo'd all the data I gave and the analysis I made, but I'm supposed to report on it now? Oh no, Loki won't fall for that again. So I go into her office and I confront her with my list of 100 stupid clarification questions starting with "How long is this report supposed to be?" to "What is the Audience for the report?"

So I did the report as per specifications. How can you underestimate someone when you already estimate them in the negative? I did a decent report, grammatically and structurally sound, put in jazzy facts, lots of definitions of the terms I used. She goes over the report and criticizes EVERY element. "This sentence should be at the end. I don't like this word - could you use another one? These terms you used, no one knows what they mean but you and me." So essentially I was to entirely remake a report to how she liked it - which is clumsy, doesn't make sense to me or the reader. She wants me to use words and descriptions I've never heard of, she gave me a long lecture on the audience for the report - which is completely opposite to the audience I asked her about in the first place. This is not my report - I don't understand what I'm reporting. She spent so much time come up with criticism for this report she should have just done the damn thing herself! Why make me do something that will require me going back to her again and again so that I have every little preposition in the just the right place?

Stupid Stick. Bam, Bam, Bam.

2 comment(s):

She sounds like a woman unnaturally obsessed by grammar. Maybe because she speaks in grunts? What would make me want to kill her is the fact that you reported twice on the same data and in the manner that she wanted you to.
You did ask.
How about registering a complaint with someone about her style of communication. Perhaps mention she is overly critical of you even when you ask for clarification. She's got to have someone she reports to. Some of this sounds like harrassment.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:14 AM  

I'm about 80% confident that what she is obsessed with is micro-managing. If she sees or feels that you don't need her to excel in your position then she is all over you while if you are constantly asking questions and deferring every decision to another she leaves you alone.
As for her communication abilities, they are non-existent. I have slowly been feeling coworkers out on this and it seems that everyone has noticed this and has run into the same problems. She is just unable to communicate adequately for her position or any position where she is required to work with others. While it feels harassing, I don't think she's meaning it that way. She's just incompetant. Others here keep on pointing out to me that "She means well" or "She's really very nice". I'm sort of the opinion that competency should supercede dispositon in a position of management. [Not to mention I question her 'niceness'... see 'creepy' post.]

I consider this job temporary until I find the dream job, so I try to get by. We'll see.

By Blogger Loki, at 10:20 AM  

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