sagaciously is...

Posted by saga_30311 at 10:40 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

June 13, 2006

I'm a hustla, homie

when they ask about me, tell 'em...I'm a hustla...

Lemme frame this for you real quick: I'm in a meeting at work, an admittedly bullshyt meeting about some company-sanctioned, company-favored charitable organization that we contribute money to every year, both as an organization, as well as on an individual level. We have annual meetings about this shyt, that no one looks forward to, to "re-emphasize our commitment" to this charity, before they begin to solicit funds. Blah...blah...blah. So. I'm sitting next to "semi-rebellious" manager SRM (just rebellious enough to f*ck up his own career, but not enough to create any major organizational changes). Two of my team-mates/colleagues are having this conversation behind me within earshot, while our Department Manager rambles on about why this organization deserves our attention. The speaker then shifts focus to a sub-titled visual presentation, that lacks audio. Both chatty-Kathy's miss alla this intro. Visual rolls, subtitles come on, and chatty-Kathy #1 loudly says something like "oh, I know we're not supposed to be reading those subtitles, are we?". And SRM gives me the gas face, as if to say "I know this peon is not talking over this. Had she been paying attention, she'd know enough to shut the f*ck up. Wait, let me make a mental note of this to f*ck up her career later..." And I mentally cringe in horror.

I've often thought that the corporate game isn't unlike any other game out there. Pimp game, drug game, numbers game, basketball, hockey, you name it. Frankly, it's all a hustle, and there are facets that they all share. A few:

know your environment:: If selling drugs was as easy as buying a kilo, divying it up and standing on the corner, we'd all do it. (ok not US all, but u knowwutImean) But it isn't; hence the police, other drug dealers, crackheads, drug-rollers, law-abiding citizens and the like. Given that, for the life of me I don't know why individuals walk into a corporate environment, and think they're gonna start the rebellion. Run shyt. Ni**a please - you're only the first knucklehead to have that thought this hour. Meanwhile, your competitors are scoping the landscape, learning the players, making connections, trying to figure out first how the environment works, and who's who in it.

slang-aside:: a "drug-roller" is someone (male or female) who, as an individual or part of a crew, cons then robs drug-dealers for a living. Mara used to do that too...

Back to the issue at hand, and this is just a thought, I know this sounds crazy, but hear me out: ya may want to familiarize yourself with that block, before you load your pockets up with raviloli bags, and start screaming that you've got that good power (you). Before you get deaded. I'm jes sayin'...

know your enemy:: When I started workin' for the good gub'ment (corporate) gig, some mess involving my new boss went down as soon as I walked in the door. At the time I wasn't privvy to all the details, so I lay low, and kept my ears open. Well, one of my coworkers, also working for this new boss, had already identified said boss as "the enemy", and revelled in the afore-mentioned mess. We disagreed about it once, loudly and with expletives inserted, since I thought that her assessment of him as "the enemy" was premature. She also compared said boss to SRM above, whom she found to be much easier to work for. Oh well.

Found out later, that said boss was "ridin' her (and the rest of us) hard", because he knew that some other bosses would find our job performance questionable, primarily because we're a) young b) gifted and c) black. He was trying to get us all to a level where our performance was beyond reproach. In some cases, his methods worked. In hers, it didn't, and she unwittingly earned a label as a 'non-descript' performer, that follows her to this day. Matter of fact, SRM confirmed that non-descript label, even as he was being 'nice' to her. She's clueless, despite attempts by several of her teammates (incl. myself) to give her a heads up about it. The whole thing has thrown a wrench in her career plans on several occasions.

Your enemy has a face, no doubt. It's your cubemate, your desk neighbor, it's the sista/brotha who's at the 'fight the diversity' power rallies 1X/year, but silently stabbing you in the back while they try to take your shine. I don't fret overmuch about Sméagol, since he's made his presence known, he's easily managed. It's the enemy that I don't see concerns me.

know your limits/strengths:: I violate my dress code. E.v.e.r.y. D.a.y. Open toed shoes, gauchos, sleeveless shirts, and the like. E.v.e.r.y. D.a.y. Oh, and let's not even talk about my non-corporate hair. That's right, I can acknowledge that even my hair pushes that dress code boundary. E.v.e.r.y. D.a.y. Matter of fact, sometimes I intentionally compound the violations, and then go talk to my HR rep or some other higher level manager, about ne-ole-thing, just to silently say "yeah, I know I'm violating. And?!"

They let it pass. I could think of a number of reasons, but here's the two most important: I work my a$$ off, and I'm incredibly professional. Almost to the point of being anal. I take my work ethic so seriously in fact, that I think there's a silent agreement that, we won't f*ck with saga & her fashion sense, and saga won't keep pushing those limits any further. I did once (wore a hat to work), which started so much shyt that I decided it wasn't a battle worth fighting for. But I could've. And I had a chance of winning. But it would've started a mini-war. And you definitely have to pick your battles. This dress code thing, it is truly minor. But it's also foolish to ride good employees over their pants length, and that's the point I was trying to make. Point (in fact) made.

when in doubt...stop. think. ask.::
Thug #1 pointing to random hustla on the come-up: yo, who's that new kid on the block?
Thug #2, shruggin: him? I don't know son. I think he's down with Poochie.
Thug #1: you think? or you know?
Thug #2: I dunno man...yo why you sweatin' him?
Thug #1: he's creepin on my customers yo - I ain't feelin' that! I'mma take that n*gga out...
Thug #2: c'mon man, he's wit Poochie man..it ain't even worth all that drama, for real...
Thug #1 then shoots random hustla....he'll ask Poochie lata

Ok, well Poochie actually shot him later. But you get the point right? Ok, given that, would he have looked more/less foolish if he'd have given ole Poochie a lil ring-a-ling? Maybe pondered a lil over his course of action?

Now, what kills me, is that I work with folks, multi-degreed, allegedly intelligent folks, 6-figure salary making folks, who won't just ask. Or stop and think. They'll fire off a volley of emails, schedule conference calls, get whole teams involved in issues that are really non-issues. Non-issues that would've been easily addressed with a single question. Maybe 5 minutes of meditation. * sighs *

protect ya neck. oh yeah, and your rep:: this is the lesson I found the hardest to handle on a personal level. See, my work ethic is impeachable, but my ability to toot my own horn isn't. I "don't need no steenkin' horn-tooter, maihne". I've got a work ethic. Period.

That is, until I got a knife in the side from a boss that I thought I had a decent relationship with. But she didn't stab me while I was lookin'. No, she stabbed me while I was sleepin. She questioned my performance to someone else, and never told me about it. Planted the seed, tried to let it grow, without my knowledge. And not only did I not see it coming, I didn't feel it either. Until someone pulled the knife out a couple of weeks later, but (some) damage had already been done. I learned, the hard way, that your rep is almost more important than making sure you're doing the do. Your rep proceeds you, and can protect you when shyt gets proverbially thyck. And it always gets thyck. My homeboys on the street know this, and would hurt someone for tarnishing their rep.

Yeah, I know how to CYA/CMA (cover yo/my ass), and I work like a Hebrew slave for my own personal satisfaction. Sometimes that isn't enough. Protecting ya rep is the underlying current that will fuel your career, as you sail along your career path. Steering is crucial, but you won't go anywhere without the current.

I need a soldier...: My first love (albeit puppy love) was named Tink. Tink & I parted ways years ago, but when I was in college, Tink and some of his boys got jobs working for a telemarketing company. At the time, none of us knew much about telemarketing. And me and my friends were broke college students. However, what we could see was that a) Tink and Co. suddenly started pushing luxury vehicles b) Tink and Co. started wearing expensive suits. Vintage-looking suits (think Chicago-house music meets 1940's gangsters) and c) Tink and Co. all engaged in some cash-intensive yet lucrative sidelines (real-estate investing, party promotions, etc.) So when Tink and Co. were implicated in some fraud allegations, and money laundering schemes, etc. none of us were surprised.

But what did surprise me was that Tink and Co. managed to avoid federal charges. Matter of fact, for the most part Tink and Co. got relatively light/non-existent sentences. And managed to hold on to some of those lucrative sidelines. Collectively. Some of Tink and Co. still have those businesses today. Why? They had a network that they trusted. Tink and Co. (to a degree) were some ride or die n*ggaz, and none of them turned on the other. They held tight, and didn't allow the fear of catching a case interfere with their goal: for all of them to remain free. Any of them could easily have turned on the lot, but they didn't, and I (despite the questionable legality of their endeavors) can respect that.

We all need a soldier. I work with quite a few folks I trust and I appreciate them for that. Common goals and all. Don't get it twisted, we ain't "fallin on the sword" for each other, and I ain't catchin' a case for anyone (I've got babies to feed...) but that unspoken agreement is there.

theProduct:: do any of us really believe in the shyt we sell? Crack. Overpriced clothing. Luxury cars. The idea that the playing field is level. Dreams. A corporate culture that at once opresses us and keeps our pockets swole.

Hell no. Sierra Mist has it over 7Up and Sprite, no matter how many lemons and limes are involved in head-on collisions, and no matter what Miles Thirst says. But Sprite doesn't need to believe, they just need y'all to believe.

theGame::So back to chatty-Kathy. She's older than me, been working here longer, and (technically speakin') higher level than me. But she doesn't get it. Should I hip her to the game?

Posted by saga_30311 at 10:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 31, 2006

the death of the girl geek?

opportunity or selling out?:: I got an offer pending, and it's more $. Not even a lil more $, more like way more $$$. Potentially. But it means two things:

I'll end up doing what I love for a living (writing):: don't get it twisted, writing comes as second nature now, so I spend more time doing it (at work, at school, here) than anything else. Cept being a mommy. So, when I say I love writing, it's like saying I love breathing. It's second nature. Now, this opportunity is to write technical documents, but it's still writing, and I'm still good at it (damnit). And it is more cheese...

but I'll give up something that I liked doing (coding):: well, did I? I mean, I enjoyed it. When I got a chance to do it. But it was an uphill battle, and I got a little tired of fighting it a while ago. Yanno, the assumption that you can't code, management taking a risk to allow you to code, while other folks subtly push you towards less challenging, less "technical", more "girly" career paths. Quality Assurance. Technical Writing. Business Analyst. The work isn't easier, it's just considered less technical (on the geek scale, or course). Along with that, er - I am almost an MBA. I'm on the comeuptuation path...

to struggle, or not to struggle:: see, I could keep coding, keep proving myself, keep fighting the good fight. Eventually, I'd get to where I want to be (project manager). However, on my current path, it would take years. I'm 40. I don't have years. A detour on the career path may leapfrog some of those years.

But (there's always one...), if I leave my current employer? Which will look better on my resume? Saga, Java-Warrior-Princess, or Saga, Business-Analyst-Lady-In-Waiting?

Doubt I can pull off that outfit as a lady-in-waiting...damnit.

Posted by saga_30311 at 05:22 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

March 08, 2006

ITWM - a rant

Note:: I wrote this on 3/1/06, and then just sat on it to let the anger pass. Reading it again while I'm in a good mood, just reinforces its validity.

WARNING: this particular post is politically incorrect, full of overarching assumptions & sweeping generalizations, socially irresponsible, marginally amusing, but 100% truth. Read at your own risk.

I've been battling a pissy mood for the greater part of the last week. Primarily work-related - here's why.

backstory:: I'm good at what I do at work. Well, I'm not just good at what I do (I'm "aight"), but I'm good at how I do what I do. I make my bosses look good - so they love me, I exhibit a great deal of inititiave & accountability - so I take the workload off them, I make my team look good, and I'm incredibly professional (& stylish, but that's another post). All this is reflected in my performance evaluations. Therefore, I'm given a great deal of autonomy.

My coworker isn't all feeling that - let's call him Sméagol. Frankly, Sméagol's work ethic takes the opposite route: he's a glider, willing to let someone else dictate his tasks, to minimize his workload. He's more methodical, requiring lots of documentation to complete processes, even when that documentation doesn't exist. Even then, he lacks initiative, and analytical ability. He supplements this with his networking ability, preferring to brown nose to get ahead. I can't say that I blame him: it's not what you know, it's who you know, that counts (and I have my own social network at work, but he ain't gotta know that...lol). But, I assume he's taking hits on his performance evaluation for his lack of technical skills, and lack of initiative.

Oh, but it gets better: Sméagol also has a sneaky streak that I'm supposed to be unaware of. So, he's run to my boss (and/or my boss's boss) and "told" on me (and other coworkers) on a few different occasions: that I came in late, or wasn't supportive enough, or missed some item on his task list. Frankly, I ignored this behavior - it's beneath me. But you get the name, right? Sméagol is as Sméagol does, and he's aptly named for a reason...

Thing is, we work directly together, on the same projects. And while I get burdened with a lot of project-management related tasks: meeting, conference calls, project planning and the ilk, I have also gotten stuck with some accountability where Sméagol's projects were concerned. Sméagol "doesn't have required information to complete his work" or he "needs me to contact XXXX, in order to clarify XXX issue" before he can complete his tasks. Thing is, we're colleagues (same level/title). Sméagol's been in his position, three years longer than me, and gets a whole LOT more $$$. A whole lot more $$$ So, I talked to my boss, and swore off leading his projects.

It's sink or swim time for Sméagol, bloop...bloop...bloop.

the scenario:: We have to put out a release of our application for some other systems to test. Sméagol & I were trained together on this, and Sméagol took really good notes. So good, in fact - that I used them to test my knowledge, and verify that I could complete the process without assistance. But, on the day the process was to be completed - I got sick, and took the day off. Called my coworkers to let them know I was ill - and assumed (don't even say it) Sméagol would take care of the task. What was I thinking??!!!

I come back to work, and nothing was accomplished. So after several emails questioning/explaining why things weren't done, Sméagol grudgingly agreed that in order to learn this process, he needed to complete this task, k-solo.

48 hours later, the task still wasn't completed successfully. Sméagol had attempted it several times, and despite having written the instructions, he had trouble following them. Meanwhile, I've had to explain to the other teams, as well as my new boss, the delay. Finally, I agree to complete the task myself, and the following conversation ensues:

me: I'll work on it this afternoon - while I'm on a conference call.
Sméagol: ...Well, I kinda wanted to sit in with you and observe...
me: what good would that do? No offense, but what can you possibly gain at this point, from looking over my shoulder..? You already looked over XXX's shoulder before."
Sméagol: "...Well, I must've missed a step somewhere along the line, so maybe when I go through the steps with you, I can figure out where I missed a step...?" blah blah blah, ad infinitum...

Against my better judgement, I walk through it, stopping to help him update his notes. About 3½ hours later, we're done, and Sméagol is gleefully thanking me for being a team player, and helping him understand the process. I send out our standard (department standard) email, letting anyone impacted know that the application was available, and what we'd worked on.

Not even 10 minutes later, I get this 210-line email:

I was livid. I'd dropped my other tasks, to be a "team-player", and ensure that not only was this done, but that he'd thoroughly understand what needed to be done, so that when (not if) he's called on to do this, he'd know what he was doing. Despite my overwhelming desire to let him drown, bloop...bloop...bloop.

Why? - ITWM: Insecurity-induced, Testosterone-influenced, White-Maleness. See, while grudgingly acknowledging that I'm sharp, no card-carrying member of the social majority wants to admit that someone of the social minority is sharper than them. Particularly a member of the social minority, that lacks a penis. Add ______ (the X-factor: my extra degree, political affiliations, my nappy hair, the day of the week, my Yankee accent, my refusal to play politics, my reputation that proceeds me, my stylish non-khaki/polo shirt attire, my non-North-Atlanta address, my non-existant golf game, whateva!), and I quite honestly think the average WASP-man slips a cog.

JC said it best (in his best South-Georgia drawl): "These damn coloreds, with their fancy degrees, their fancy speech, fancy clothes and fancy cars - well they just don't know their place. It's not good enough that we let them breathe our good, corporate air; we let them sit in the same building as us, share cubicles with them, and let them eat in the same room as us. We even allow them to have their own com-mu-ni-ties. Hell, they still want to be treated as equals. Taking away our promotions, asking for more money, trying to run our companies, telling us what to do - it's an a-bo-mi-nation!"

Ok, I know what you're gonna say - and yes, I know that the playing field ain't level, and I know this is typical corporate BS. Par for the course, of course. All's I'm saying is, just because shyt is like this, doesn't mean I have to like it. Doesn't mean I'm going to say "yessur Mr. Charlie, anything you say Mr. Charlie, I'll be a good employee Mr. Charlie". Hell naw. And it ain't just at work...

the group project:: I got a double dose. Myself & 3 other MBA students (2 white males - one whom we'll call Mr. TypeA, 1 asian female) get to write a 7 page paper. Scrreeeech, before you get any further, check that out: 4 MBA students writing 7 pages? Yes, that will be an exercise in Type A-ness if I ever heard of one. So, after I initially bump heads about the topic (I deferred to Mr. TypeA, because frankly - I'se tired of leading projects), we work on the project, and it's relatively low-impact, until the very end: when Mr. TypeA becomes an ITWM, and freaks out because I a)question his cancelling a meeting and b) suggested that the paper was too long (11 pages) & abstruse (who uses the word ostensibly in a sentence anyway?). Let's just say that the email response I received started with the words: "Let's not have a panic attack, shall we?" The project came off despite this, because frankly it was for an Organizational Behavior class, and I used some conflict-resolution tips to defuse that BS.

the declaration, to whomever may be listening: I am an intelligent person. I was hired because I am an intelligent person. I got into graduate school because again, I am an intelligent person. And while I can understand why I'm being perceived as a threat, I have a hard time understanding threatening your own job or your own grade, just to retain control over me, or my ability to influence your career (job or academic career). Shyt, if Sméagol spent as much time working & honing his skills, as he does brown-nosing, he wouldn't have anything to worry about.

The thing that I find the most frustrating about my work environment is exactly that: I walk in, people automatically underestimate me, I prove them wrong, then I'm a threat. It's exhausting.

I overheard a conversation between two of my coworkers, who happen to not write code (they're Quality Assurance Analysts). One was bitching about our use of contractors, particularly contractors who have to use their contracts to maintain their Visas. The gist of his argument, was that all this "outsourcing" was taking jobs away from Americans who deserve them, like him - and paying "those people" much more than we're making. His colleague's answer: "Oh, so you're ready to write some code then, huh?". He didn't respond, but I know the answer.

No, he's not - he just doesn't want "those people" to do it. Da hell?

ETA:: Not that I thought that the thing with Sméagol was over, but he's accelerated his antics, and it's driving me up a wall. If you have suggestions, please send your suggestions (and bail donations) to the Keep Saga out of Jail fund.

Posted by saga_30311 at 10:21 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

February 02, 2006

the paradigm of diversity

the meeting:: inception
I had a meeting a couple of weeks ago, with some people in myCompany's Marketing group, along with some folks in myCompany's Customer Relations group. See, it seems that some users (external customers) weren't happy with some of the development that we'd done in a previous release. Well, not happy isn't really a strong enough word - the Marketing manager was pretty f***ing pissed, and had raised enough hell to warrant getting several application teams together to allow him to properly vent about it.

the background:: framework
If y'all didn't know this by now, I'm a web developer. Programmer by title, Java developer by trade, although I've dabbled in a lot of different technical roles (content developer, technical writer, coordinator, etc). Oh yeah, and if I hadn't mentioned it, I'm black. And female. And a rarity in my field.

See, in a department of about 120 or so odd "developers", I think there are about 4-6 of "us" black women. Most of whom are either currently-in or consciously-being-steered-toward less-technical roles: content developer, coordinator, quality assurance analyst, functional analyst, coordinator etc. And even if you widen the net, and include black males, still...there's maybe 12-16 of us. That's not quite 17%, is it?

And to some extent, we all face similar challenges. Our technical skills are always in question, we have to work twice as hard just to keep pace with our counterparts, and because of globalization, the playing field just took a new slant. Why hire African-Americans, when you can hire people of color that are culturally perceived to be more technically adept, or from areas of the world whose pay scale is much lower than that in the US? Ok, I'm not even going to attack the out-sourcing issue - I just want to note how it colors my environment.

the meeting:: revelation
But back to the meeting: my project lead's called to task by her boss about this issue, so a meeting is called to address the problem (and get Mr. f***ing pissed off along with some of myCompany's other bigwigs to back off). Us peon technical folks are called in to explain to the less-technical bigwigs why we can't do what Mr. f***ing pissed off wanted us to do.

I arrive a couple of minutes early, and Mr. f***ing pissed off is already there, along with a couple of his underlings, one of whom is black. I subconsciously smile, because in an environment where we aspire to be 10% of the working population, it's always nice to see a similar face. My boss arrives next, as do four of my teammates: TC, KC, KF and WB. Now, TC leads off, as usual - he's the technical lead, and when I say he's well-versed don't take me at my word. He's forgotten more code than I've yet to write. To the techies reading, he can quote large sections of the Java API off the top of his head, which to non-techie folks is like not just quoting the bible, but being able to debate Pat Robertson (ok, insert some other sane religious icon here) about the actual original Arabic transcription. Dude is that good. Then he calls on KF to explain her piece of the application, and she does her thing in technical terms. When Mr. f***ing pissed off does his Scooby-Doo impression ("ruh-roh?"), KC breaks this into layman's English for him, giving the issue a business perspective. Mr. f***ing pissed off asks me about my portion of the application, and I give him the spiel in (relatively) non-techie speak about my piece's limitations. WB is (as usual) silent, instead allowing the more seasonsed developers to take the lead in this meeting. My boss asks if Mr. f***ing pissed off is satisfied, which by this point is a gross understatement: Mr. f***ing pissed off is actually happy that we did what we did, which is really more than we should've. My boss ends the meeting and we return to business as usual.

What makes this whole thing unique is the cast of characters:
my Boss: black woman
TC: black man
KF: black woman
me: ok, you know the deal
KC: Japanese woman
WB: white man.
Mr. f***ing pissed off: c'mon, you already know the answer to that one...

the meeting:: reality
The whole time we're in that room, what's really going through my head is: we're handling biz. We're handling biz. This dude (Mr. f***ing pissed off) probably talked to a couple of us individually, and thought to himself - "I don't think they know what the h*** they're doing". But we came in that room and handled biz, so that he couldn't do jack but say to himself "dayum, they did a good a$$ job, considering the circumstances". That, my fine blog-reading friends, warms my code-writing, take-no-prisoners, cold-to-the-politics-of-big-business heart.

the social network:: facilitation
We've formed a loose network of colleagues at work, based not just solely on race, but also on similar interests & skills; and we network, as well as help keep each other apprised of some of those "silent" developments that go on in the workplace. We help each other with code, we validate/invalidate office gossip, and we try to "stick together" as much as can possibly work, in this dog-eat-dog world. The most important part though, is that we've realized we have a greater impact collectively, than most of us individually can imagine. Which is antithetical to corporate culture and survival.

A policy of inclusion is what most corporate consciousness sorely lacks, and is what makes this loose collective strong. We don't all "get along". Some of us can't stand others of us, on a very personal level. And there's always others of us that are just "extra", and can be pretty hard to swallow. But no one is "excluded", unless they choose exclusion themselves. And that's ok, because no individual can take away what truly belongs to the collective. Even if one person leaves the group, another takes up their place, learns something in the process, and the collective grows.

the cultural reality:: departure
I admire my colleagues a great deal, because of their skills and the unique abilities they bring to the table. Despite my at-work introversion, I've tried to immerse myself in this "collective", to learn as much as possible, in the short time I have to be around them. Some of us will leave myCompany, some will stay...some will remain tight, and others will drift apart. The bottom line is that we've all grown as part of this experience.

That's my paradigm of diversity. Somehow, I hope myCompany catches on, the way Mr. f***ing pissed off did. And I hope myCompany catches on while any of us still care to show it.

sidenote:: myBoss and TC are on their way off to other projects, to be replaced by demographically sterotypical developers. This saddens me a great deal, because I like and admire both of them, and it's been a great pleasure working with them, and learning from them.

Posted by saga_30311 at 03:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 24, 2005

the Framework

So, I'm watching the Rita evacuations, with my professor's words still ringing in my ears:

"...between those who believe in institutions, and those who do not..."

E calls, to talk about some mini-drama at his gig, and we get into a long discussion about the potential for success in Corporate America. What it boiled down to is The Framework:

Beginning: our capitalist-agricultural society whose goal was the success of the individual farms (plantations) based on indentured labor, and leading to growth of society as a whole.

Evolution: mutated into a capitalist-industrialist society whose goal was the success of individual firms, based upon cheap labor, leading to the growth of the nation as a whole.

Now: our capitalist-technological society whose goal is the success of corporations (read: multinational conglomerates) based upon cheap resources, leading to the growth & viral spread of the capitalist market as a whole - to the world.

Now, given that framework, where do you "fit"? Where are your interests served? Who is looking out for you? Not you! ...you're working towards the success of the corporation, silly! And of course, the corporation definitely doesn't give a flying f&*% about you.

How do you then "succeed" within that framework? Hell, what is success within that framework?

As an employee, of a Fortune 100, I observe the machinations of the Corporation and its lower, middle and upper level managers, subjectively. I whine when my boss cuts my bonuses, or decreases my raise percentage, and I whine when "the Corporation" increases my health-care costs. However, as a business person, and an MBA student, I observe those same machinations, objectively. I understand why the Corporation does what it does, to preserve itself, and to increase its value. The machinations of its managers thus becomes amusing, because they do what they do to preserve their individual value, and to achieve some modicum of "success", even though it appears that within the Framework, their idea of individual success is impossible. We're all just slugs baby...a paperclip, a nut, a bolt, a screw. The Corporation views us all as resources, to be equally distributed to achieve its goals. Given that, it's not worth the cost of political manipulations, to "sell your soul", to achieve your individual goal.

With one eye on Fox News, E & I validate the Framework, testing one another's ears with examples:
his struggle with a back injury and his managers attempts to get him fired to save paying out disability as well as unemployment, GM's struggling with a pension plan that may undermine the company's long-term goals. Delta's (at the time) impending bankruptcy, China's regrowth as a super-power. We struggle to find an example that disproves the Framework, and in watching Rita's evacuees that also fled Katrina, understand that: yes & no, it is/isn't just about race and/or class.

For the sake of our discussion, our examples prove the simple truth - as individuals, no matter where you stand within that framework, your value to the Framework is only in what it can get out of you. Nothing whatsoever else matters. Parity, fairness, equality, diversity, social justice, empathy, corporate responsibility, integrity...they're pretty words that evoke emotion but have nothing whatsoever to do with the Framework. Here in America, that Framework has been extended outside the four walls of Business. That Framework has become our culture. Given all that, as an individual - you'd best do whatever really & truly makes you happy and serves you well.

Posted by saga_30311 at 01:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 08, 2005

Hurrican Katrina - Job Opportunities

UPDATE: this information, while from a reliable source, is unconfirmed. I'm waiting on updates for both of these, but until then - disregard this information.

Out of the darkness....Just wanted to pass these on. And don't get it twisted, this relief effort is definitely a grassroots thing, so if you hear of anything, please pass it on.

If you know any young men who need a job or are willing to help the victims in New Orleans, please see the info sent to me below.  Please feel free to share it with any one interested. You may have to leave a message because they are having a high call volume.

If you know any young men age 18 and up who are looking for work, Bishop Eddie Long, Pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, is offering $32.00 per hour for a team of men willing to go to New Orleans to help with the disaster and damage done by Hurricane Katrina.  You can call the church at XXX-XXX-XXXX for sign up and more information.
FEMA is actually administering this, not New Birth, and I'm waiting for contact information.
                                                                           
                                                       
FYI                                                                      
Construction company hiring 1000 people to help with hurricane clean up.  
$10/hr, 80-90 hrs weekly, food, lodging, transportation to area.  Start immediately, could go on for 1-2 yrs. Anyone interested can call directly to LVI Svcs, 713-991-0480, 10500
Telephone Rd ,  Houston, Texas. Note: as of right now, they're only accepting applications locally today, in person and applicants MUST have government issued ID to apply.

Posted by saga_30311 at 02:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

June 09, 2005

System Interruption

I interrupt this family drama related rant-saga to provide you with the following:

Work-related Rant!!!

Aight, so I've been rambling on, incessently about globalization (the global spread of market-capitalism), classism, and my funktacular gig. Well, remember when I said I'd pack light...?

This position opened up in another department, closely related to some work I'd done for my department when I initially began working for the Company. Well, this position was an entry-level Project Management position, so even though this position would take me slightly off my career track, there would have been a phat raise to make up for that. Shweet!

Well, not so fast. See, at my company, you can't just apply for these positions when they become available. You have to go through your boss, and he passes the application on to the appropriate manager, once he "determines" some things:
- whether or not you're qualified for the position
- whether or not the new pay level is appropriate for the applicant considering their current pay level
- whether or not there's a "business need" for you to leave/stay

In other words, your boss can throw an emergency brake on your career plans, despite what you do. And if you circumvent this established process, they'll file your "potential for promotion" into File 13. Permanently. Can't buck the system, 'specially when you work for the Company.

And so yeah, this is exactly what happened: I apply, spend 3 days (attempting to fit into my boss's "busy" schedule) convincing my current supervisor that I'm overqualified for this position, and not only possess the skills/knowledge to excel in this position, but also that my initial exemplary performance evaluations (which he previously informed me that he was familiar with) attest to this. Meanwhile, my colleague applies, the same day that that I do, her boss blesses her application immediately, and she gets the position before I even have a shot at applying.

Am I mad? Not really. I expected it. Here's why:
- My boss & I have a serious disconnect about my skills & the merits of my past work experience. If it's not related to what I'm doing right now, he thinks what I've done in the past has no merit. In other words, my boss thinks that my career started when I started working for him, even though I've been working for 20+ years.
- The phat raise: my colleague is taking a lateral. Even though she's got less experience than I as it relates to the skills for this particular job, they're already paying her the same amount of money as this new gig, so no promotion. Good business decision, for the Company doesn't have to spend a $.10 to fill the new position. They're absorbing her old position (making 2 people already here split her work, on top of their current workload).
- My past exemplary performance evaluations are based on tasks/assignments completely unrelated to my title. My last performance evaluation, while above average, definitely wasn't exemplary, because while I've been previously working on tasks determined by a "business need", those tasks aren't related to my title, and my performance is partially based on the skills I'm using. Those skills are determined by my title. In other words, if I'm a French Teacher, but I'm teaching English, even if I'm a bada$$ at teaching English, I can only get a 4 out of 6 on my evaluation, because I'm not teaching French. Only 6's are allegedly entertained when promotions are decided. Allegedly.

It's market-capitalism & classism at its finest: my colleague was a better value-proposition for the Company, and the Market responded accordingly. And the perceptions of me, my past work experience, and performance suggest that I wasn't in the correct "class" of employees for this position. Cute, right?

So, my friends & colleagues are agreed: "Shawty, you got screwed". But I ain't mad. Pack light. I know this, I knew this, and I need to live this.

So, um....are any of y'all Companies hiring?

Posted by saga_30311 at 03:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 02, 2005

marketing (ya dayum self) - 101: the intro

So, it's midyear, which means it's another opportunity to perform a work-related self evaluation. Which basically means you write the business case underlyi