h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Boss was sitting next to me on the phone, trying to book an appointment for a cut and blow-dry.

Well, I *think* it was blow-dry she meant to say, but something else came out.

What a nuthouse I work in.

If you have a spare keyboard that you can use for a week, you can dip your coffee-flavoured one in a sink of water. As long as it dries out completely before you plug it back in it'll be fine. I did it with the one I'm typing on right now. Took it apart too to make sure all the... stuff was removed from it

oh you! (yes, Mr Gosho, I'm looking at you)

I avoided the keyboard/coffee scenario on KBs post because of the warning in the subject.

Yours needed a Coffee Splurt Warning!!

My sister spilled coffee on her laptop one time, and it cost her $400.00 to get it repaired.

Said boss is trying to be all...."pastoral care-y" now.

Why can people not leave people in peace.

I think, by now, I could probably write a book on counterproductive management techniques, and this is one of them (in my case, anyway. It's great for some people, it's just different strokes for different folks).

A lot of bosses seem not to grasp my nature; the simple fact is I ought to be an easy guy to manage. If you want the best possible job done, just leave me alone. Forget I even exist, and leave me to it. The more you intervene, the more you try to "help", the more you ask for constant updates and progress reports, the longer it takes to get the job done, and the worse the final product is.

You sound somewhat like Dilbert, KB. Or have I misunderstood your nature as well?

Well, my job has its Dilbertesque moments, granted.

The pointy-haired boss sounds remarkably like the one you've described.

A bit. It's probably coming over more harshly than I mean it, though. I'm actually quite fond of her as a person. I've definitely known a lot worse ones than her, too. She's dealing with her own troubles, too, so I try not to be *too* hard.

With what she gets her hairdresser to do, it's no wonder she has pointy hair.

I'm still wondering why that big building is full of Goshos.

as long as you don't call him Shirly, Paul, you'll be ok.

I'm in charge of internal control in our office. I have to report to our HQ. This year we've messed with the format a bit, so I was in Korea for the kick-off meeting for that. And since then, instead of leaving us to it, they want a weekly update on how we're getting along updating our reporting format.

I seriously want to stab someone. in the eye. With a pencil

That sounds like make-work. They can't be hurting for revenue if they'
re able to plow resources into such things.

they're not hurting for revenue. And it's not make work, it's SOX mostly, we're listed on the NYSE and have to certify and show that we are compliant with the regulations in respect of financial probity and anti-trust etc.

sounds a lot less fun than it is