RE: Technician having to play politics

It can be. Its all in where the 2x4 is applied. Hehehe...

Scott Shafer
San Antonio, TX
210.581.6217

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Henry Poras [SMTP:hporas_at_etal.uri.edu]
> Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 3:35 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
> Subject: RE: Technician having to play politics
>
> Is 'managing people' one of those military euphemisms?
>
> Henry
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> Scott.Shafer_at_dcpds.cpms.osd.mil
> Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 1:24 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
>
>
> Paula,
>
> I work in a similiar environment (DOD Civilian project), and have seen all
> you listed on a daily basis. When I had a major malfunction with one
> particular individual, I ended up requesting a sit-down (Tony Soprano
> style)
> with a mediator. It helped. I did have to change some of my own personal
> "style" (if you will), but it has allowed me to continue on.
>
> The stress and backbiting hasn't gone away by any means, but solving the
> one
> situation helped, and I'm learning more about managing people (blech! I'm
> becoming Damagement - unclean! unclean!)...
>
> Scott Shafer
> San Antonio, TX
> 210.581.6217
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Paula_Stankus_at_doh.state.fl.us
> [SMTP:Paula_Stankus_at_doh.state.fl.us]
> > Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2003 2:29 PM
> > To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
> > Subject: OT: Technician having to play politics
> >
> > Dear Ann (hehe),
> >
> > Previous to this assignment I have been considered to be principled
> about
> > technology but reasonable and pragmatic. At this assignment I was given
> a
> > big send up and there were some real insecurities already in-place from
> > people put into high-level IT jobs without any real IT experience. I
> was
> > told to take a proactive role (at first) and I did but I feel that this
> > has only caused more resentment - plus I am not the best e-mail writer
> in
> > the universe and e-mail can lead to miscommunications. Now, I look back
> > at the last 3 years and realize that unconsciously people hear me with a
> > certain perspective - miss know-it-all, technical geek -B*. Outside of
> my
> > job I am considered patient, team-playing, caretaker type. I realize
> that
> > the one thing I need to do is use this opportunity to hone my personal
> > skills and I am not a person to easily give-up (worked one place for 10
> > years, married high-school sweetheart, dedicated wife, mother, daughter
> of
> > elderly parents). However, with a bad start and the last 3 years of
> > dodging more personal missiles then I can think of (including being
> > personally insulted in meetings with users - something I would never do
> to
> > another) I don't know what to do. The IT market is pretty stiff and
> right
> > now I have 2 small children, a husband and elderly parents relying on me
> > and my income. Sometimes I feel that what I am feeling could be
> somewhat
> > due to the tightening market and insecure overall economy and the fact
> > that this particular organization has not had a strong CIO for the last
> 7
> > years - leading to more emphasis on political positioning (wow -
> learning
> > much more about politics then I ever wanted to know) and that I am not
> > alone. This environment I have used to temper my standards and
> responses,
> > got Oracle OCP after holding out for 8 years, heck considering to write
> a
> > book on the IT government industry - kind of a parody in light of P.J.
> > O'Rourke. Please understand that not everyone in this environment has
> > these issues. In otherwords, I am not Schizophrenic feeling everyone is
> > against me. However, this environment is not balanced and so the
> > moderate, objective voices seem to get lost in the storm. So I am
> trying
> > to find a way to turn this whole thing around - I believe there is one
> > person especially who is at the heart of this. Others have reported
> this
> > as so. I do not wish to cause this person any harm. I just want to
> turn
> > this thing around without having to get another job. I would like to
> see
> > a win-win. My dream is to work with other technical professionals to
> > development products of lasting quality that really address business
> > needs. I have something significant invested in the users here, the
> > technology, the other technicians and management. Any ideas/advice?
> >
> --
> Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net
> --
> Author:
> INET: Scott.Shafer_at_dcpds.cpms.osd.mil
>
> Fat City Network Services -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com
> San Diego, California -- Mailing list and web hosting services
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message
> to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in
> the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L
> (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may
> also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).
>
> --
> Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net
> --
> Author: Henry Poras
> INET: hporas_at_etal.uri.edu
>
> Fat City Network Services -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com
> San Diego, California -- Mailing list and web hosting services
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message
> to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in
> the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L
> (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may
> also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).

-- 
Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net
-- 
Author: 
  INET: Scott.Shafer_at_dcpds.cpms.osd.mil

Fat City Network Services    -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com
San Diego, California        -- Mailing list and web hosting services
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message
to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in
the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L
(or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from).  You may
also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).