Work? What work...?

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mood: fading annoyance
tv: borat and newsnight review
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So here’s the second dilemma of a ‘personal’ blog – do I talk about work? It’s easy with a political rant: mention names, events, whatever... it’s all comment on people and events from the public sphere, my own opinion on things that are already ‘out there’ in the papers and on the internet.

But work is different, if I mention names and events then I might upset someone, perhaps get in trouble? Then again, I still have the right to free speech, and merely relaying my opinion of events that have happened is surely not morally wrong. After all, no matter how much we like to admit it, work becomes a large part of who we are, even if it’s for no other reason than the amount of time we spend there. And this is for posterity, for my own pleasure and memory. So fuck ‘em. I might keep it fairly general though...

Today’s ire has arisen from corporate management. In this sense it is a pretty general topic, I’m sure my complaints are common in our globalised society. It happens whenever someone new comes into a position of authority. They feel they must stamp their mark on the job, and they are expected by their superiors to be seen to be doing something to increase sales/improve productivity/communication or whichever management buzz-word is currently in vogue. But it often seems to mean that the notion of linear, logical progress is thrown out the window. Positions change and policies see-saw back and forth: now we must have a corporate image; now we want individuals to have an influence, show initiative; now our priority is sales; now it is orders; now it is blah blah blah. So we spend time changing things, improving procedures in ways that we think work and then, after all the effort, we’re told to change things back to how they were, as though we haven’t changed them for a reason. And a couple of years (months, weeks?) later it’s all change again. There is no notion of progress here, and no notion of respect for those that have to deal with this shit. I now have to deal with the repercussion of rearrangement (i.e. a load of work at a time when we’re already busy and understaffed, not to mention the inevitable complaints when the bad old system is reinstated), plus the feeling that any personal effort and initiative I’ve put into my job has been for naught. The fact is I’m not paid enough to care, but I kind of did. Now I don’t give a toss.

And this is why this system must eventually fail. It’s just a make work scheme. There is nothing at its heart: no soul, no point, just emptiness. There is no respect from those in charge, whose consultation consists of listening to your concerns then telling you to do it anyway... and no doubt they have the same from those in charge of them. So the system propagates its nihilistic and greedy worldview, and those in charge forget that none of this matters one iota.

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On a lighter note, I’ve just watched the Borat Show and it was brilliant. His finest moment was a segment with his Austrian fashion presenter Bruno. Interviewing a minister who devotes his time to converting homosexuals to Christianity he poses a series of questions as to what constitutes godly behaviour. Apparently it’s fine for one to eat a chocolate desert after a meal and in the company of good Christian friends, although there is the small proviso that there must be no sinful influences in the vicinity. If, however, the chocolate desert is being consumed as part of a homosexual lifestyle, or act, then it is most definitely not ok. Brilliant! Just imagine the meticulous care and attention to detail he must take at every step of the day!

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Anyway, I really hate talking about work. But the fact remains its 8 hours a day, and that’s a lot of my life. Bugger.

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Thanks Ali (again).