Hmm... I hate it when ppl barked at me. However politely. That's basically what happened today, the vet marched to our lab, wanting to talk to my boss and I. I've heard that she marched up earlier and question my lab mate regarding my where abouts and if I knew I should be looking after the rabbits. My lab mate told her despite not knowing where I was (and I thank my ancestors again for fiesty friends), "Of course she does, she's probably right there now."
So here's the deal, apparently she's been getting emails from the techs that I've not been looking after the rabbits. By emails she meant one, yesterday morning, and it wasn't even true, I was there. For argument sick, even if I wasn't, I was there 4 times the day before (in between 2 surgeries), last signing off at 10pm. Left messages at her answering machine updating her about the rabbit's conditions, heard nothing back. But, because the department has previous bad experiences of ppl blaming them about animal health even though it wasn't their fault, at the first instance of the techs telling her how one bowl tipped over in one cage, she came marching up for a target without checking the clinical check sheets, and complained that I can't keep dumping work on them. My boss's response was,"Hold on, I know LS, she's pretty conscientious, are you sure?" "That's what the girls' been telling me." After 10 mins of discussion, he concluded that they can't be blaming me if they didn't check the paper trail and it sounded like I was doing whatever I should be doing. "Not quite.. getting there. She should be checking them at least twice a day." My boss turned to me, I showed him 4 fingers and mouthed '4 times'. Her last question was if I were an evening person, coz the techs start work at 8am, that's probably why they freaked out. Sure, whatever that makes you feel better.
The general issues I have with such incident, other than the fact that it is completely ridiculous and a waste of my time, are as follow:
1. If a tech request was approved, my assumption is that it means, 'Ok, we'll do it', not 'Ok, we can't do it, but we will force it and hate you for it'. No?
2. If a tech request was not approved, my assumption is that it means, 'Ok, we can't do it. You do it.', not 'Ok, we can't do it, you do it and by that you sort of work for us. We will monitor your progress and complain right to your boss if you don't do it right.' No?
3. If a tech request was approved and later required external assistance, that means I am helping you out, not the other way around. No? So how about we talk about all those times when work got 'dump' on me? Hypocritical much?
4. If the techs are stressed out because their boss commit to jobs that will overload them either due to bad planning - not ready for a relocation which they were aware off 6 months ago or wanting to please investigator's requests (i.e my boss), and the whole department collectively decided to vent to a middle aged, neurotic, 15 years experienced clinical vet who can't handle administrative bullshit, how is that the grad student's fault? Tell me no and I tell my boss no and everyone wins. Now it's just bad vibes all around + one unimpressed grad student. Mind you, I'm very easily impressed.
5. If ppl have been ridiculous and I have to vent to my friends, how innocent are they? They would have wasted 10-30 mins (depends on their # on the vent lists) of their life that they won't get back listening to complete nonsense.
If I hated my boss other days, I love him today for being on my side. And the fact that he said it was 'hysterical' after she left.
So here's the deal, apparently she's been getting emails from the techs that I've not been looking after the rabbits. By emails she meant one, yesterday morning, and it wasn't even true, I was there. For argument sick, even if I wasn't, I was there 4 times the day before (in between 2 surgeries), last signing off at 10pm. Left messages at her answering machine updating her about the rabbit's conditions, heard nothing back. But, because the department has previous bad experiences of ppl blaming them about animal health even though it wasn't their fault, at the first instance of the techs telling her how one bowl tipped over in one cage, she came marching up for a target without checking the clinical check sheets, and complained that I can't keep dumping work on them. My boss's response was,"Hold on, I know LS, she's pretty conscientious, are you sure?" "That's what the girls' been telling me." After 10 mins of discussion, he concluded that they can't be blaming me if they didn't check the paper trail and it sounded like I was doing whatever I should be doing. "Not quite.. getting there. She should be checking them at least twice a day." My boss turned to me, I showed him 4 fingers and mouthed '4 times'. Her last question was if I were an evening person, coz the techs start work at 8am, that's probably why they freaked out. Sure, whatever that makes you feel better.
The general issues I have with such incident, other than the fact that it is completely ridiculous and a waste of my time, are as follow:
1. If a tech request was approved, my assumption is that it means, 'Ok, we'll do it', not 'Ok, we can't do it, but we will force it and hate you for it'. No?
2. If a tech request was not approved, my assumption is that it means, 'Ok, we can't do it. You do it.', not 'Ok, we can't do it, you do it and by that you sort of work for us. We will monitor your progress and complain right to your boss if you don't do it right.' No?
3. If a tech request was approved and later required external assistance, that means I am helping you out, not the other way around. No? So how about we talk about all those times when work got 'dump' on me? Hypocritical much?
4. If the techs are stressed out because their boss commit to jobs that will overload them either due to bad planning - not ready for a relocation which they were aware off 6 months ago or wanting to please investigator's requests (i.e my boss), and the whole department collectively decided to vent to a middle aged, neurotic, 15 years experienced clinical vet who can't handle administrative bullshit, how is that the grad student's fault? Tell me no and I tell my boss no and everyone wins. Now it's just bad vibes all around + one unimpressed grad student. Mind you, I'm very easily impressed.
5. If ppl have been ridiculous and I have to vent to my friends, how innocent are they? They would have wasted 10-30 mins (depends on their # on the vent lists) of their life that they won't get back listening to complete nonsense.
If I hated my boss other days, I love him today for being on my side. And the fact that he said it was 'hysterical' after she left.
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