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Thursday, July 19, 2007

Oh... There's no quick only Cuban Time

What the hell am I doing working in the field? Well as most of you know we started this off a little different at work this week. Right now it is just my boss and myself. So we've got my boss who hasn't work in the field for 2+ years and me. I've been running the field operations and project management for 2+ years but I am practically useless. Still can't lift things, climb ladders, or even stand for a lengthy period of time. So again, I ask what am I doing there?

*addition 7/20/07 4:00pm*
The housekeeper is trying to kill me! I have setup camp in the kitchen and I walk out for a few minutes to test something. I walk back in and WHOA, holy shit stop... the floor is wet!!! She's mopping. Luckily I spotted it before going in. I have trained myself to spot these situations and I am always scanning the floor for wetness because it don't mix will with crutches. So I didn't want to add a new post for this since it was related. I am actually posting this from a customer's house. So like above.... I will ask, what am I doing here?
*end addition*

Well somebody that knows what going on has to be able to teach and direct the one who does not. Now, don't get me wrong my boss is a very intelligent man and certainly understands the concepts quite well. I mean he should, he has been doing it for 20-30 years. But here's the problem. The processes we go through now, even the cables and connectors we use now are different. Plus I don't think he realized you actually have to be in decent shape to move in and out of tight spaces while protecting the customer's house. Stand up get some parts, sit down put it together, stand up test, rinse, repeat. So not only does he not know the new equipment but the techs that we laid off and/or quit have had their processes for YEARS and know where all their tools and stuff is. My boss comes in and can't find anything.

This is driving me crazy. I feel pretty much useless in the field. I'll sit on the sofa and do some work on the computer and think about the things that I can do myself. So I too am playing a little catch up since I was out for a bit. So I sit there and wonder if part XYZ was installed correctly and working, "oh let me just go check that real quick..... oh damn A) there is no real quick with anything on crutches and maneuvering through the house and B) that part I am thinking of is installed outside in the back yard. How the shit am I going to get to it?" Yeah sure I could but I would end up dirty and really sweaty because I'd be crutching through the damn yard in 95 degree heat. Then get yelled at for tracking mud into the house onto the white floors with my crutches. So I stand there and show my boss how to do something and get him going on it for a bit while I stand around in HYD mode (Hold Your Dick).

Now we can top it all off with the fact that my boss is a true Cuban at heart. So what that means to people that don't know... he has NO concept of time. Prior to moving to Miami I really didn't know about the concept of "Cuban Time." But the clue should have come from the fact that my boss was late to my interview. And, he hasn't been on time since. To this day he defends that by saying when he shows up on time bad things happen. This drives me completely bonkers. I am typically on time if not early to just about everything I do. Sure, I've been late to things or caught up at the office or other things. But generally if I say a certain time I'll be there at that time. The other day he says we'll meet after lunch around 1 at the site. So at 1:30 I call and ask what the plan is. We end up meeting at 2:45. Trust me, I understand the guy is busy he is trying to get shit back up and running again. But I am still going

After I had been with the company for a bit and I was meeting my boss at client meetings I would show up on time and have to dance a jig for the customer or even potential customer for at least 15min before he showed up. Talk about awkward. "Hi, I'm Matt, he's about 20min behind me. I don't know shit about sales and I don't even have the proposal or the plans so I am going to ask you for a glass of water, pet your dog, and say hi to your family and then I'll sit out by your pool. Thanks for having me. Oh... You got any chips and salsa?"

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