Ok. Time for a little office humor here....and some advise from the Queen of all Paper Pushers!!!
Fun stuff first...
Dom Portwood: Hi, Peter. What's happening? We need to talk about your TPS reports.
Peter Gibbons: Yeah. The coversheet. I know, I know. Uh, Bill talked to me about it. Dom Portwood: Yeah. Did you get that memo?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah. I got the memo. And I understand the policy. And the problem is just that I forgot the one time. And I've already taken care of it so it's not even really a problem anymore. Dom Portwood: Ah! Yeah. It's just we're putting new coversheets on all the TPS reports before they go out now. So if you could go ahead and try to remember to do that from now on, that'd be great. All right!
OK. So for anyone who has ever watched Office Space the movie you'll understand the humor in this and why sometimes in our lives we get stuck with the stupidest bosses of all time. Uhhhh....YEAHHHHH....*nodding*
So here's a word to the wise from an auditing stand point...
If you need to turn in anything resembling getting reimbursement from any state run / federally funded organization please do me a favor!
1.) When you turn in your paper work, know what the heck your doing and fill the dang forms out right.
2.) If you want to get reimbursed for it here's a thought,....we in the paper-pushing world call these things 'RECEIPTS'. *nodding*
3.) If you don't want people to REDFLAG you, turn your crap in right and if you don't know how to fill something out, for goodness sake ask someone how to do it.
Think of it like this...if you turned in a screwy set of TAXES to the I.R.S do you seriously think that after they have audited the crap out of your paperwork that they don't "REDFLAG" you and every other time you turn in paperwork and go...
"Ahhhhh John Smith turned in some taxes again, let's nit-pick him and see where he screwed up this time!!!! AHHH hA HA HA HA HA...."
Trust me. I know. I'm the queen.
The queen of the "Paper Pushers".
No I wont' sign any autographs.
6 comments:
Great summation Jacki of the ineptness and misinformation that can occur within an office. At times it reminds me of the scenario we played in a communications class. A statement was whispered to one person and then it went around the room in the same manner and how it had completly changed when it got back to the originator.
How people working in such close proximity can communicate so inefficiently at times is amazing. Then you have the supervisor who loves memos; who can send out so many that they at times contradict themselves. Mostly I attribute that to ego. A few words (in person) can go a long way towards clearing up things.
I still prefer the military way where everyday before shift you line up and the supervisor imparted to you whatever information they needed to. Everyone was hearing and/or seeing the same information. Questions could be asked at that time to clarify.
Your point about the reciepts is great. Having done my share of vouchers they seem to cause some people major headaches. So many people want you to take it on faith that they incurred the expense. These are unfortunatly the same people by and large that look at a voucher as a way to gain some extra money. They are also the people that have never heard of or could care less that an audit will be done. Resulting in you getting in trouble for thier laziness or greed.
The Office is great show, you could arguably say it is a microcosim of the personalities encountered in just about any working environment. Although it does seem that an office arena seems to be even more effective in showing this, as people do work cloely together and cannot escape to some other area to rid themselves of the maddness that occurs at times.
Very good sumerization!! (is that how you spell that??)
Yes. I was having a bad day and seriously frustrated with the lack of knowledge people seem to have when turning in paperwork. I've had people turn in paperwork requesting reimbursements for white hangers because they needed something to "hang their clothes on". I'm like, "DOI'!" Hello PERSONAL EXPENDITURE!!!!! You seriously think I can take Federal funding and pay for your personal stuff and not get in trouble for it?
Yes. I'm amazed at the stupidity of people sometimes. And then I get the *looking down their nose at me....* "I have a PHD" or such-and such degree, what do you know? All you have if your flipping GED??!!
Yeah...
You think I get apoplectic about military things. Don't get me started on "educated" people who look down on you. When I was in the Air Force; for the most part officers did not play that game and appreciated the enlisted people for our skills at basically running the day to day Air Force mission as far as aircraft and support operations. Officers make policy, enlisted follow it, easy way to live. I am sure you have people in your office who appreciate your skills, however they were attained - some most likely came naturally.
I am no longer in the military and can now call a spade a spade. If I get the "me educated, you not" attitude I aways try to work into the conversation the fact that they are asking me for my expertise in a particular area. By and large a college educated person is an expert in one or two areas and will most likely have a better vocabulary and writing skills if the education took. You are an expert in your area or profession so although you do not have a "degree", you are "educated" in your area. No different than a degreed person. Now this attitude becomes easier after having 20 - 30 years of work experience behind you.
One area I have found that educated people lack coming out of college is people skills. Some never attain that as they start out as supervisors right out of school and only concentrate on gaining more skills or advanced education in thier field and not in how to treat and/or motivate thier co-workers. Many to thier benefit do gain these skills by having great examples set for them and also the desire to want to do right by thier co-workers.
The Air Force had its share of inept enlisted supervisors, they were weeded out over time and although given the chance in most cases to retire, they also were mostly given meaningless jobs with little to no supervisory oversite of people. In the Air Force you have to attend college level communications courses and workshops as you advance in rank. Sadly, the private sector although recognizing this, is very lax in supporting the concept.
Some people are born leaders with the inate ability to do these things - most are not. Especially those with the me educated you not attitude. By default they think that education trumps all else, regardless of thier ability or inability to exercise that education in a positive or productive manner. Unfortunately too many of these types are allowed to advance or become supervisors by virtue of that education (degree).
This holds true for any supervisor that has gained that position by either time in service or being helped by another regardless of education level. Teachers/ Administrators with tenure based upon years of service and union jobs are two that I have personal experience with.
Don't get me wrong, a college education is something anyone should aspire to. Study after study has proven this education to produce a more rounded person with the learned capacity to better confront and succeed at lifes challenges. Just don't dismiss anyones abilities simply because they don't have an education.
O.k. I am off my high horse now. Interesting subject, another that I have given much thought to as I have been on the receiving end.
Your quite the eloquent write Phil and very good accessment of the issue.
I simply with that the "educated" people would understand this. But considering I work at a University we have so many facutlty that come in with that additude. And the thing that they don't understand is the fact that we don't make the "rules" but you better believe we have to enforce them to get our jobs done.
So seriously PEOPLE, just do as we ask. We're not trying to be a PITA, we just can't get you paid unless you do it right.
Good post by the way! Yippie, almost 2 more weeks and we are down there....see you soon.
Note to self: read the crap you post before you post it. ;)
Thank you. Although I worked around a lot of officers, it was not even close to the concentration you deal with. And unfortunately the teaching profession from my experience is one of the snobbiest.
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