Are you an Eddie Willers like me?
Posted by Robbie53024 10 years, 7 months ago to Culture
Perhaps like many of you, my situation is more like that of Eddie Willers (a character who gets too little attention in my opinion, yet probably represents a great portion of the overall populace) than it is of Dagny, Hank, JG, or the other strikers.
My family was middle to lower middle class as I grew up. My father's aspirations for me was to go to a trade school and become an 8-5 worker who used his back instead of his head (mostly). That provided a decent enough life for him and our family, so why not?
Luckily, I was able to swing an appointment to the military academy and got an education (thanks to all who paid taxes during the early 80's, I owe you a Mech Eng degree). From that I've been able to climb into the upper 5%, a level much higher than either my father or I could ever have imagined. But, I've always had that perspective of working for someone else. I've done well, but not well enough to be able to "shrug." 2 more years until my youngest graduates college and have a mortgage to pay.
Most of the discussion regarding AS focuses on Dagny, Hank, JG, Francisco, etc., but so many more of us are really Eddie's, the forgotten "everyman."
So, like Eddie, I've given the output of my mind for a good portion of my life to others. Not that I've not been compensated along the way - and don't get me wrong, I've lived a good life, no complaints here - but I'm in no position to shrug. So here I am with millions of other Eddie's scared to death that everything that I worked for is soon to be thrown on the ash heap of history with no way out.
My family was middle to lower middle class as I grew up. My father's aspirations for me was to go to a trade school and become an 8-5 worker who used his back instead of his head (mostly). That provided a decent enough life for him and our family, so why not?
Luckily, I was able to swing an appointment to the military academy and got an education (thanks to all who paid taxes during the early 80's, I owe you a Mech Eng degree). From that I've been able to climb into the upper 5%, a level much higher than either my father or I could ever have imagined. But, I've always had that perspective of working for someone else. I've done well, but not well enough to be able to "shrug." 2 more years until my youngest graduates college and have a mortgage to pay.
Most of the discussion regarding AS focuses on Dagny, Hank, JG, Francisco, etc., but so many more of us are really Eddie's, the forgotten "everyman."
So, like Eddie, I've given the output of my mind for a good portion of my life to others. Not that I've not been compensated along the way - and don't get me wrong, I've lived a good life, no complaints here - but I'm in no position to shrug. So here I am with millions of other Eddie's scared to death that everything that I worked for is soon to be thrown on the ash heap of history with no way out.
Boobies are always an up vote.
The other night, my boss approached me and asked if I'd signed the form stating I'd completed the AoS (Associate Opinion Survey). I told him no; technically the truth.
He presented me with the form, and right there was where I signed.... "John Galt". I pointed to it and said, "There, I signed"
And he peered at it, said, "Oh, yeah... wait? Who's John Galt?"
I then, thinking quickly, told him I'd signed it that way as a joke to my other manager (the one who's read Atlas Shrugged).
I then told him that John Galt is a character from Atlas Shrugged.... "Never heard of it".
"It was written by Ayn Rand?"
"Never heard of her".
"Controversial writer of the 1950s?"
"Nope?"
I couldn't help myself, I asked, incredulously, "How can you be a manager and not have read Atlas Shrugged?" (then I quickly laughed to show I was... not serious... ahem).
He laughed and got on with his work.
Since then I've been trying to find a way to introduce him to John Galt...
In fact, it's a running gag the way I spend so much time with my superiors, "getting the job done"... the job they define.
It's my background. When I was 12 and started working for my father, my first jobs were "gopher" jobs, as well as handing him brick. Then spreading mortar for him, as well. Then eventually I was allowed to start practicing laying brick, but still as a "gopher", too.
I tended, I think, to look at myself as the sergeant "batman", in the military sense. The guy who took care of the BS so his officer could conduct the war. I've always been very good at seeing the orders of my superiors successfully carried out, making things work, but never very good at being the man making the decisions.
I took a management leadership test at work a few months back, and it concluded I was "non-confrontational" in my leadership style. Although, the result was skewed because some of the answers I gave as I did because I thought they were what Wal-mart wanted to hear.
When I realized the truth of that test result, I was much in mind of Eddie Willers.
Since then I've tried being less of a batman and more of a leader. I'm not an alpha male yet, but I'm no longer a delta.
If true, H could do well on a help desk. Instead of telling the caller 'you are wrong, and stupid', he could use experience and listening skills to actually help, it does happen now and again.
H, have you read 'Take a message to Garcia? There has to be opportunity for people who can take general instructions, interpret correctly, plan what to do, and get the job done.
'To everything there is a season'.
I used to work for a delivery service as a dispatcher. Our primary customers were six airlines (Delta, Continental, Southwest, etc), for whom we delivered "delayed luggage" (never lost!).
Once we retrieved the luggage to our offices, we had to sort it as to destination, and then phone the contact number to verify the address and arrange the delivery. The passengers were almost always angry, and did not realize, usually, that we were *not* the airline. We, of course, couldn't badmouth our customer to their customer, so we basically had to learn to take flack.
I made a game of it, and I tried to teach the other dispatchers I trained. Like Patrick Swayzie's character in "Roadhouse" said... it's not personal. They don't know you, so it can't be personal. They're just upset, justifiably so, have had to suffer through an uncomfortable flight (all flights are uncomfortable), and are tired and irritable to begin with. Emotions need an outlet, I would say, and when they need to vent, we're the relief valve.
If you get the information verified, and get off the phone with them still angry, you win. If you get the info verified, and you've managed to calm them down... you win big. You only lose if you take it personally and argue with them. Then they take it out on the airline, who takes it out on the company, who probably will fire you.
I had one passenger whom I couldn't console on the phone. He demanded to know where our office was so he could come collect the bag. The fact was, I'd dropped the ball; I'd overlooked his bag on the van whose route included his delivery, and it was still in the office. Policy was that we never, ever let airline customers come to our offices.
I gave him our address, told him the bag would be by the door waiting, and I'd be there if he still wanted to punch me in the nose.
He arrived with his wife in tow, a thundercloud on his brow and worry on hers. I got him his bag, explained to him the course of events, apologized (with dignity)... he ended by shaking my hand before he left and apologizing for his temper.
I don't know how many customers I saved for the airlines as a dispatcher, but I know there were many.
Maybe that's where I learned to be non-confrontational.
This is a path I took ten years ago, anyway. Your mileage will vary.