Help me out? Life related...

[Osato]

So, lemme explain what’s going down.

First and foremost I must explain that I had Drill this weekend, meaning I was stuck with the military for all weekend (in case you didn’t know what drill meant). I wasn’t that bad, it was hella boring, but not bad. I woke up on Friday at 8 am, got a drug test, went to work, and then hung at a friend’s till 11. I figured I had to get up at 4:30 on Sat so I should go home and sleep. Didn’t get to sleep till 4, meaning 30 minutes of sleep for that night. As soon as I came home from drill on Sat I hung out with peeps for a little bit, and then ended up getting to sleep at just shy of 12, waking up just before 4:30, meaning only 4 hours.

Now, I’m runnin’ on 4 ½ hours of sleep. That’s between Friday morning and now.

Anyway. So I go to a ‘mandatory spring meeting’ at Aeropostale. We had a 'spring meeting' and Paulette (Store Manager) was bitching at us about how we don't work and don't do a lot of things. And how if she was an associate for a day that we could be SM for a day. And how we aren't responsible, bitch about not having enough hours, but don't come in for extra and stuff.

I stood up, said that I was leaving. They asked why, and I said that the meeting was bullshit.

I said: If I could be SM for a day would that mean I could sit on a "conference call" for almost all of my shift, stand up front and talk to people without working? I told her that if she wanted her people to work hard and do well that she would have to set the example, and she wasn't doing that. And I went off on her for saying that I wasn't responsible, when I take/cover everyone's shifts, come in early and leave late, have a second job with just as many hours, AND have military obligations

Now, I must admit, I was kinda harsh about it. But I think that I explained myself pretty well throughout the meeting, trying to defend little things here and there but kept getting shot down. When I get angry, I get VERY quiet, most of the people that know me know that’s a fact. So, when I say “I went off on her”, what I really did was just smolder and say things in almost a growl.

To explain what I meant by “talking on the phone as an SM”: Two weeks ago, about, it was the end of the chillin’s spring break period. It was a Friday. Me, another guy, and Paulette (SM) were working the morning shift. Instead of helping me and the other associate greet and work the floor, she was in the back on the phone for 3 hours, coming out to the floor twice (once for 10 minutes, and the other time for 15 which she spent on the phone… before taking the conversation to the back again).

I think that personally, if you are going to bitch about people not being responsible you have to show that YOU ARE responsible. How can you get the respect of others when you don’t even do your own job? How can you expect people to work hard and try their best when the “leader” of the store, the person that’s supposed to be the example to everyone else, doesn’t even do her own job half the time?

In the military I can respect my leadership, they push and strive to at least pick up any job that’s required and get it done. They really are examples of how we, the lower ranks, are supposed to act. That is something that I have always seen and acknowledged as what a leader is supposed to act like. Aero doesn’t seem to have that. With the exception of one manager (and she is an amazing manager too) I would say that the leadership is the problem with the store, not the associates.

So, a few more questions… do you think I was right? Do you think I just snapped and was out of line? I’d like to know, because when it comes down to it I made a judgment call… and I hope it was the right one at the time…

[Karuka]

I think sometimes the "lower ranks" need to stand up for themselves and call the upper ranks on BS.

That being said, I've never been a manager anywhere, so I can't answer for anyone here.

But I do feel your frustration. *Pats*

[orphans]

It doesn't matter what position you are in life, we are always human and thus should treat each other the same way we'd like to get treated. Sounds like your manager was at fault this time around and though you were right to stand up for yourself, perhaps next time being a little more gentle might help as well. But I understand why blowing a lid in your situation is normal.

[Rith]

Seems you made the right call and were in the right to actually stand up to her about it. You're not necessairly sure about if that call was important or not, but I highly doubt in a 3hr period 1 phonecall can justify sitting in an office for 2 and 1/2hrs of talking. Maybe you were out of line some, but if no one else was going to step up and feed her her own shit back to her face, then thing would just be the same. Maybe it wasn't the smartest or most respectful thing to do, but sometimes that's the only way to get the point across.

[The Writing Writer]

Ida bitch slaped a mutha.....

But seriously. Good call. Sometimes ya just gotta stick it to the man. Werd.

let's hang soon. we can exchange stories of ragins against our respective machines.

[Koran]

I've often wished I could do something like that. >.> :)

Personally, I think what you did was the best you could do, in your case. One of your other associates however, perhaps not. My understanding of that kind of system, is that it is a team. If one person carries the team, as you're saying you're doing, and everyone else slacks off, all good and well. But, the important thing to remember is, that you're still a team. You get critiqued as a team, you get awarded as a team. It's life, and the military does it a lot. If you haven't found out yet, you will soon.

However.

Perhaps because your leaders are incompetant, most of them anyway, as you say, then perhaps because of your specail experiences, you should start taking charge. Anyway you can, I don't know what you do so I can't give you ideas. It's just an idea though, and can be made difficult if your higher ups start beating you down by telling you not to do the job they can't seem to do, but it can award you greatly in the end.

In the end, in my opinion, I think this was caused by a collective mixture of lack of sleep, sheer bordeum by the whole drill thing, and the fact that you were just not very interested in anything besides sleep. Lack of rest can do that. :) But you were in the right to point out her lack of leadership, your extra efforts at making that team a mostly well oiled and mostly effective working machine.

So! Verdict:

Ever so slightly below being correct, but close enough that people will usually fall in behind you without questioning your points all too much.

[Dirge]

Ha, so everyone is getting the same thoughts I'm having now that I'm starting to cool down. It probably wasn't the most respective thing, but when all the other associates are just taking it and asskissing so that they don't look bad I felt it was SOMEONES place to speak up.

Jimmy -- we should hang this weekend if I'm fired. If I'm not, we should hang anyway. You've gotta come down with me to the new hookah place... it's downtown so we could do anything really...

[The Writing Writer]

lol sounds good dude. Saturday night then?

[Dirge]

Sure.

Back on topic... anyone else have an opinion not yet expressed?!

[Rith]

If no one decides to actually take charge and sit back like a bunch of children and take verbal beatings that arent diserved, then someone should have spoken out and you did. Maybe your boss will get the hint, and if they don't take it to the next higher up and get them reviewed/monitored or something of the nature if that's possible. I'm not sure how that would actually work, but I'm sure having enough co-workers file complaints because a SM isn't doing their job then lecturing you all on it because they're slacking is utter crap. File complaints until he/she either gets their act together or fired. Either situation has it's rewards but also their penalties.