Grow a Pair

Why is it that those who whine seem to prosper? At my company, there is an odd phenomena that gives a neverending audience to whiners.

These are the people who find things (or people) to complain about. They manage to convince someone that they are the wronged party.

Why is this tolerated from some but not others? It is usually the boy who cried wolf who gets away with it.

I have a radar for manipulative people. Yes indeed, I can spot them from a mile away.

My theory is that these people either have great blackmail material or have simply programmed management to expect this kind of behavior from them.

Is either acceptable? The result of this tolerance is pissed off employees.

If you haven't guessed, I am one of those pissed off employees.

I don't want to drone on like a professor in a philosophy class, but what has happened to accountability? Why do we spend our lives being told we need to grow into responsible adults only to find a job and be surrounded by pseudo-adults who act like toddlers?

I am tired of it. I am tired of stereotyping that creates an expectation of unequal behavior....some are accountable, some just show up. While this is going on, both are paid the same. While I support equal pay for equal work, the incessant whining of some means very little work is being done.

Some may say a pay for performance system would fix this problem, but like any problem, there has to be acknowledgement that a problem exists. This is missing in my company.

Let's just say an employee was motivated to speak out (bitch, rant and rave, etc.) about the tolerance of this behavior. The result would be that management has an open door policy so hearing the concerns of employees comes with the territory. Furthermore, the employee who couldn't take it anymore would be seen as a troublemaker. Why would anyone stick their neck out for that?

It is obvious this would be the reaction because management is aware that they pick and choose the idiotic rantings they entertain. How do I know this? Because it continues.

In meetings to discuss these "concerns" raised by whiners, management looks slightly embarrassed to be discussing these issues. While I don't care how much time management spends listening to his crap, I do care when I have to spend my time sitting in meetings as a result of it.

Generally, I am not a specific target of whiners. I believe it is because I make it pretty clear that I will deal with it. I bite when provoked....hard! Regardless, there are times I am impacted simply because I work there. Policies are changed, allegiances are formed, and a hostile work environment ensues.

My response? Grow a pair and tell the whiners to shut up and do their real jobs. Of course this response is only shared with coworkers or my inner self. I actually have shared my response to management but of course I can't name names. I speak in broad terms related to organizational issues and they nod their heads like it all makes sense. Of course it does. Why don't you try executing it?

I'd settle for executing these types of employees but that doesn't fall into my job duties.

The problem with balls is that management tends to use them at the wrong time. Maybe I should become a consultant and offer a management class entitled "How to Use Your Balls Effectively."