i admit that i tell old marine corps stories over & over again. so, i know how easy it can be to use a significant part of your life for reference or entertainment. i'm, for the 3rd or 800th week, i can't remember, going through a gov't inspection of my 24 buildings i'm responsible for. the inspection consists of two 30 something females from the east coast & an elderly gentlemen located on the base in fallon.
i have to take these persons to every building & they get to inspect. they're looking for standard physical security requirements & just about anything that makes them feel like inspectors. i discovered, yesterday, that an inspector must give "advice" or make a "recommendation" no matter what. for example, i have a building w/ no discrepancies, but you can bet they're gonna find something to correct me on. like, my last building had nothing wrong, but one lady states that there's excessive dust on the side-walk & that's a fire hazard. i can't, in a healthy manner, explain what i wanted to do w/ that comment. ARG!!!
you know what though? the lady inspectors weren't all that was peevin' me off a bit. the elderly man inspector was killing me softly. this guy talked to me incessantly. apparently, he's been on the base since 1977. he was telling me stuff about my own buildings- how they were built, the contractors that built them, etc.. now you might be thinking what's wrong w/ that? you might even be thinking that it's good to have/know the history of that building. okay, you're absolutely right. but, i started to notice something @ about building # 10. it was the same old story every time. no variation & said- as if, for the very first time. so, picture this in your noggin for a sec: lady know-it-all inspector pointing out states of nature & old guy inspector telling me the same story @ every building site. up to this point, i had thought that nursery was the hardest thing for me to do. boy, was i wrong! if i have to hear that hinges on a door need more grease & that such & such building was originally created as a bomb shelter- i'm gonna explode!!!
btw, i have about 7 buildings that i'll be doing this morning w/ my "team". did i mention that i have to schmooze them while they're here. "would ya like some coffee?, the restrooms are over there, please meet so & so", provide lunch recommendations, etc.., -- all the while they get to pick me apart. it's like saying, hey glad you're here, anything you need- ask me, & if anything is wrong- just blame it on, me!
darn that responsibility thingy.
Wednesday, October 19
pet peeve # 5 (inspections & old time stories)
Posted by JayBird at 8:53 AM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
sounds like fun. i really hate schmoozing. a big reason my previous job really torqued me. my tendency to be blunt (honesty is a virtue, right) and my disdain for really bad grammar, analogies, etc. make the whole "people interaction" thing about heading out to any workplace a challenge for me at times.
I feel for you, Jay.
That old guy is talking your ear off, so he probably lives alone and has no family.
Just off him. Who's going to notice?
Inspectors, auditors, and televangelists, pointing the way to a better life with the bony finger of blame . . .
One of my favorite things to say on the topic of schmoozing is that perhaps if I got collagen injections in my lips, I'd be better at kissing butt...
...take a cue from them, and just roll it downhill :)
...hey...I want to see a sidewalk catch on fire...can you arrange that?
whew! yesterday was quite the day. i'm quickly becoming the "person" that doesn't listen to others when they talk. you know, the person that checks-out when people talk to them. hats off to all you "pre-occupied" listeners.
i've discovered that my schmoozing tank is about the same size as my social tank. there's very little in the tank when it comes down to it. i can give about 3 entertaining, hospitable, focused hours & then i go into melt-down mode. i hit the wall of no return & want to go hid in a corner far away from people. :)
Post a Comment