"He's Having A Meltdown!"
There is a guy I work with that started about a year after me. He was given the same choices I have on my job. He has been given the ability to move up and make something of himself. Unfortunately he is still what we call "part-time plus". That means he gets crappy pay but is guaranteed 32 hours a week and gets benefits. I was stuck on "part-time plus" myself for about 1 year before I went full time.
The best description I have of this guy is something someone told me one day jokingly... but it was dead on. He is a cross between Butters and Tweek on SouthPark. Terrified of getting in trouble and freaks out for no apparent reason. No self-esteem and dresses like he is 20 when he is several years older than me. He just got his MBA but plans to do nothing with it, I think his (stern pants wearing) wife told him to do it for status. They just bought a house in one of the most expensive neighborhoods and just had a child.... all in the name of "status". You see, he AND his wife both come from money families. The vacations to Tahiti, London and Australia are all paid for. The house, kid and MBA are paid for. They get an allowance. The sad part is he doesn't realize that his hobbies can become something better for him. He is the complete electronics and communications geek. He is a fully certified HAM operator and uses most of his paychecks to get the latest technology for just about anything. Its hard to even start feeling sorry for him. He has invested most of his left-over money into US-European electrical converters so he can resell it on Ebay but still has yet to make a profit.
Because of his constant mistakes on the job he has made a derogatory name for himself over time on the job. The hard part about him is that he is actually blocking other people's path to go full time with our stupid seniority process we have. So, some people make fun of him out of fun.... and some people are just cruel. He has been able to whine his way out of making himself more useful at my job while keeping his nice schedule and benefits. This has effected even my ability to see Holly, so you might say I have come down pretty hard on him as well at times. Most of the time I try to be nice to him and coach him along. I remember having a conversation with him several months ago in which I asked him to resign and do something better with his life. He certainly has the ability and he fully agreed with me. Yet he has stayed parked at his current job doing nothing but the bare minimum to get by. He gets extremely good pay to come in for eight hours and only be active for 2 of them. On my down time I usually tracking program schedule changes, checking my effects and gear, editing video or whatever. He has gone far as to find the WiFi signals in the building and set up a mini internet cafe so he can sit around and cruise the web for no reason.
Seems like a pretty nice life right? Well... he seems to think its unfair. He is always having a "very bad day, the worst one yet". After all his bitching and whinning and moaning about how hard his life is... he has made himself a target for ridicule.
Now, I get to my point. Recently, the workload at my job has grown. Not only for me... but for everyone. Talent included. This has risen everyones stress level and their ability to remain composed. Recently sparks have flown because of policies being set that people don't like. We try to get everything done within certain time limits but sometimes we get into a crunch and EVERYONE has to stay late to get the job done. Even talent. So you can imagine that NOBODY wants to hear this guy cry and moan anymore.
Only last week one of our "talent" snapped at the guy and belittled him in front of everyone just to get him to shut-up. They have been having a growing feud for a couple years now. The feud is based off the fact that the above described guy just won't ... shut-up... constantly talking everyones ear off. The talent just had enough of him.
So, last night I was in the audio booth and getting microphone checks minutes before we are to go on air. Slowly going from mic to mic and guiding the camera ops through the process. When I opened the last mic to be checked I heard someone hysterically screaming and I knew who it was. I only caught the end of it.
".....AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
I quickly keyed into the director and told him that "this guy" was losing it. The director told me to keep mics open to see if he yelled anymore, but it was silent. He was apparently yelling in between my mic checks at the "talent" in the studio and he got caught off guard. I was later told that the talent was also trying to contact the director to tell him that "this guy" is "having a meltdown". You can imagine that the show went on the air awkwardly after that point in time.
We all have our moments on the job. I have certainly had mine. But unfortunately "this guy" broke some unwritten rules and also shot himself in the foot.
Rule #1: The "talent" is always rightand you must back them up.
Rule #2: You do not create a negative feeling or mess with people 60 SECONDS before a show.
He shot himself in the foot because he has made no leverage for himself. He has not advanced himself in ability and skills. He has not made a good, long standing repore with the "talent" and himself.
I found out from the other people in the studio that he was ripping on two of the "talent" and hysterically swearing his head off at them.
To Be Continued......
The best description I have of this guy is something someone told me one day jokingly... but it was dead on. He is a cross between Butters and Tweek on SouthPark. Terrified of getting in trouble and freaks out for no apparent reason. No self-esteem and dresses like he is 20 when he is several years older than me. He just got his MBA but plans to do nothing with it, I think his (stern pants wearing) wife told him to do it for status. They just bought a house in one of the most expensive neighborhoods and just had a child.... all in the name of "status". You see, he AND his wife both come from money families. The vacations to Tahiti, London and Australia are all paid for. The house, kid and MBA are paid for. They get an allowance. The sad part is he doesn't realize that his hobbies can become something better for him. He is the complete electronics and communications geek. He is a fully certified HAM operator and uses most of his paychecks to get the latest technology for just about anything. Its hard to even start feeling sorry for him. He has invested most of his left-over money into US-European electrical converters so he can resell it on Ebay but still has yet to make a profit.
Because of his constant mistakes on the job he has made a derogatory name for himself over time on the job. The hard part about him is that he is actually blocking other people's path to go full time with our stupid seniority process we have. So, some people make fun of him out of fun.... and some people are just cruel. He has been able to whine his way out of making himself more useful at my job while keeping his nice schedule and benefits. This has effected even my ability to see Holly, so you might say I have come down pretty hard on him as well at times. Most of the time I try to be nice to him and coach him along. I remember having a conversation with him several months ago in which I asked him to resign and do something better with his life. He certainly has the ability and he fully agreed with me. Yet he has stayed parked at his current job doing nothing but the bare minimum to get by. He gets extremely good pay to come in for eight hours and only be active for 2 of them. On my down time I usually tracking program schedule changes, checking my effects and gear, editing video or whatever. He has gone far as to find the WiFi signals in the building and set up a mini internet cafe so he can sit around and cruise the web for no reason.
Seems like a pretty nice life right? Well... he seems to think its unfair. He is always having a "very bad day, the worst one yet". After all his bitching and whinning and moaning about how hard his life is... he has made himself a target for ridicule.
Now, I get to my point. Recently, the workload at my job has grown. Not only for me... but for everyone. Talent included. This has risen everyones stress level and their ability to remain composed. Recently sparks have flown because of policies being set that people don't like. We try to get everything done within certain time limits but sometimes we get into a crunch and EVERYONE has to stay late to get the job done. Even talent. So you can imagine that NOBODY wants to hear this guy cry and moan anymore.
Only last week one of our "talent" snapped at the guy and belittled him in front of everyone just to get him to shut-up. They have been having a growing feud for a couple years now. The feud is based off the fact that the above described guy just won't ... shut-up... constantly talking everyones ear off. The talent just had enough of him.
So, last night I was in the audio booth and getting microphone checks minutes before we are to go on air. Slowly going from mic to mic and guiding the camera ops through the process. When I opened the last mic to be checked I heard someone hysterically screaming and I knew who it was. I only caught the end of it.
".....AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
I quickly keyed into the director and told him that "this guy" was losing it. The director told me to keep mics open to see if he yelled anymore, but it was silent. He was apparently yelling in between my mic checks at the "talent" in the studio and he got caught off guard. I was later told that the talent was also trying to contact the director to tell him that "this guy" is "having a meltdown". You can imagine that the show went on the air awkwardly after that point in time.
We all have our moments on the job. I have certainly had mine. But unfortunately "this guy" broke some unwritten rules and also shot himself in the foot.
Rule #1: The "talent" is always rightand you must back them up.
Rule #2: You do not create a negative feeling or mess with people 60 SECONDS before a show.
He shot himself in the foot because he has made no leverage for himself. He has not advanced himself in ability and skills. He has not made a good, long standing repore with the "talent" and himself.
I found out from the other people in the studio that he was ripping on two of the "talent" and hysterically swearing his head off at them.
To Be Continued......
posted by Benners at 9:37 AM
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