Ketia0 0 #26 November 17, 2009 Quoted by Sam Houston"In this game you can't predict the future. You just have to play the odds. "-JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #27 November 17, 2009 I would recommend to the OP that he reads jnesbitt's comment.. VERY good advice IMO.. I used to work in the military as an aircraft mechanic (Aviation Systems Technician if you really want the official job title!!).. So what the OP describes is something I experienced to a degree when I first started.. First, you need to understand that *perception* is more powerful than *reality* in the workplace. This is especially true of jobs that are social/interactive like many engineering trades. (As opposed, for instance, to a job where you are in a closed office all day, dealing with paperwork, where people don't see you and form less of an opinion on you.) You need to bear in mind that your actions are not only visible to all your colleagues, but they will be judged as well. So to put that into context.. Yes, you may not be behaving in a way that is any different to anyone else when there is time to kill.. But at that point in time, perhaps there *was* a job that needed doing which your colleague knew about and assumed you were too lazy to help with. This is just an example, but how and when you choose to kill time can and will be interpreted by your colleagues until you have proven to them that you are a hard, solid, reliable worker. At your age, you simply don't have the longevity to be able to say with confidence that you have proven yourself. Remember - perception.. Someone who is older WILL be perceived as having more clout even when they are new. It's a simple fact of life that with age comes assumed wisdom/knowledge. That's not to say the person *actually* has said wisdom/knowledge. So if you feel you are getting flack for your behaviour - behave in a way that sends a clear message that you are dedicated, keen, and reliable. In the short term, you *do* have something to prove. So prove it. In a couple of years, *then* you can sit back and relax a bit without people getting all upset with you for it. Also, if the guys are jerks, but within themselves they seem to get on famously, you are obviously being treated as an outsider. I reckon over time, when you are consistently doing a great job, personal relationships will become much easier by default because your colleagues will know that you are pulling your own weight. In the short term, all you can do is work HARDER than everyone else - the rest will follow over time. But it does take time to build trust/respect."There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #28 November 17, 2009 Oh, and one last thing.. People don't expect you to be good at your job when you're young. People expect you to be keen, work hard, and want to learn. Maybe people's bad perception of you rests on the fact that you don't *seem* to be interested/keen/hard-working enough. So work on showing them that you are. The experience/knowledge/clout will come in time."There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidB 0 #29 November 17, 2009 There's that... Then when you get enough people working in the same place you typically have at least one person like that: They're unhappy that everyone/anyone around them is isn't as unhappy as they are.When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #30 November 17, 2009 Quote There's that... Then when you get enough people working in the same place you typically have at least one person like that: They're unhappy that everyone/anyone around them is isn't as unhappy as they are. Yep - VERY true.. But the OP gave me the impression that this guy wasn't the only one giving him flack.. But yeah.. Some people you will NEVER please & that's just tough luck. Every work place has at least one - if you think it doesn't, it's probably you!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LisaH 0 #31 November 17, 2009 My opinion, suck it up. Work hard, do your best and ignore the office politics. Be thankful you have a job! Be yourself! MooOOooOoo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ketia0 0 #32 November 17, 2009 +1 I agree Nataly.. And yea, its not just one person.. But The one guy who i talked about is one of the worst... Its not that i dont *want* to learn.. its jsut that alot of the stuff i already know... No joke. This one guy has been here for 20 years or so... And he was outside swapping our compressors ( this isnt as easy as it may sound.. we have huge compressors that compress Hydrogen to over 410#. Anywho, He went outside to go do it, and I went out there 10 minutes later... He was standing there trying to figure out how to do it. ( it is REALLY rare that we swap 2 compressors at one time.. So granted it is different)... I told him, dont worry about it, and i did the whole thing. by myself.. and had them all swapped over in 15 minutes.. Then when he went to go turn one on, he forgot to turn on a pump it needs. So i ran over there when i noticed it, i turned it on.. I said all that to say... Sometimes im smarter.. Not to bost.. but just stating a fact.. "In this game you can't predict the future. You just have to play the odds. "-JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ketia0 0 #33 November 17, 2009 I sucked it up... And i am thankful!!!! its all good now! "In this game you can't predict the future. You just have to play the odds. "-JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LisaH 0 #34 November 17, 2009 Quote I sucked it up... And i am thankful!!!! its all good now! Excellent! Be yourself! MooOOooOoo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #35 November 17, 2009 Quote I said all that to say... Sometimes im smarter.. Not to bost.. but just stating a fact.. You may just have summarised why people treat you like a little snot.. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ketia0 0 #36 November 17, 2009 I dont tell them that!!! lol.. "In this game you can't predict the future. You just have to play the odds. "-JohnMitchell Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,545 #37 November 17, 2009 You don't always have to tell them. If they figure it out, they can still resent it. Wendy P.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #38 November 17, 2009 Quote I dont tell them that!!! lol.. Perceptions, matey - perceptions!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnDeere 0 #39 November 18, 2009 Quote Quote "Texas can survive without the US, but the US can't survive without Texas" Sounds like something your governor might say but no doubt written by a Texan with a very bad case of myopia. Nope sound's like the truth Just cause you live in a broke ass state doesn't mean we doNothing opens like a Deere! You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billeisele 130 #40 November 18, 2009 Quote Quote I said all that to say... Sometimes im smarter.. Not to bost.. but just stating a fact.. You may just have summarised why people treat you like a little snot.. the stuff others have posted about perception, etc. is true union shop, young and smart - their perception is that you are smart and "better" than them and they resent that these guys resent you because they know they can't "compete" with you so they deal with you the only way they know, they treat you like crap, it should remind you of grade school when kids were jerks, these are adult jerks and the best part is that regardless of how smart you are - they are winning, this is psychological warfare, the sooner you understand the rules and "work" it to your advantage the better off you will be, play the game and beat them at their game you want to go read while they socialize - not good, it reinforces their perception that you are "to good" for them someone mentioned earlier to ask for advice about a non-work issue, this is a way to show weakness, that you are not smarter and "better" than them your goal is to create a different perception in their minds, it will take awhileGive one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #41 November 19, 2009 Quote Quote Quote I said all that to say... Sometimes im smarter.. Not to bost.. but just stating a fact.. You may just have summarised why people treat you like a little snot.. the stuff others have posted about perception, etc. is true union shop, young and smart - their perception is that you are smart and "better" than them and they resent that Or maybe they don't like a young guy with a cocky attitude.. Maybe they think you're *not* actually better but in fact full of shit "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
