Out of the valley of the shadow of death and into a new job.

Back in the factory this week after a year of managing at the other place. Managing entails a lot of walking around listening to people complain about each other, filtering it, and passing it on.

Eg: Big Boss says to me "I noticed Person A was leaning on a cabinet earlier, hasn't he got any work?" I then take this to Person A and say :

SJ: How's it going?

PA: Uh, good. Almost finished.

SJ: Cool.

Because what the fuck else am I going to say? "Hey you've been leaning again haven't you. You are required to stand perpendicular to the floor at all times mister!" I wouldn't be able to keep a straight face, I say. Senior management will try to use middle management to relay instructions they wouldn't dare try and implement themselves. No shit, my boss once wanted me to tell the staff to walk a little more quickly...not run, you understand (he's a right fucking humanitarian), but maybe just a little quicker.

Usually what I'd do is call the staff together, say "Big Boss hasn't got enough to do which means he's poking around. Try to appear diligent, because I, on the otherhand, have a shitload to do and I don't need him coming to me every 5 minutes about you lot". But it didn't really matter because they'd just find some other thing to complain about instead of, I don't know, maybe going out and getting some clients so the boys on the floor actually had something to do.

But for that, and a host of other reasons, I quit that fucker. Went home one Thursday 4 weeks ago and did not return. So now I'm back in a factory, wishing I still had some callous instead of these soft pudding hands, until I get my software training and my new office, tucked away upstairs, where it is quiet and good. Oh yeah and I get more money, which in this case is merely a perk.