Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for your

Mr Cobb,you need to take responsibility for your actions and stop blaming others for your problems.....

Yup, as a 27 year old or so, I heard this a few times in my life. Its my experience I hear this right after I show up an adult who has screwed up, let me down n a personal or organizational manner.

I have failed my monitors two months now at my call center job and on the written warning i received, I wrote that my boss only listened to my calls twice the whole month, roled played once and has yet to give me a copy of the protocol sheets to study after hours. We had a plan written to help correct my behavior and these things were listed to have occured to help fix it. Its a very fast paced job and its difficult to read and take notes as to why I wanted a copy to take home.

Shortly afterwards I received a 2 page email about my blaming others for my problems, quotes from the company policy on responsibility and other quotes. If i didnt know anybetter, adults have a source for that script they quote from when a young person catches them with their pants down so to speak.

In a professional manner with spelling and grammar check I wrote back and coppied it to my big boss like he coppied it that I was disappointed that my progress was not enough to pass this month and was unsatisfied in the fact he only monitored my calls twice, roled placed once and has yet to give me a copy of the protocols to study outside the work place. I mentioned I had 26 days to ge before I am lead to beleive i will be fired and want and need more help from my team leader as it seems I am unable to do this alone.... I sent that as my shift was ending.

I know many adults as well as younger people visit this site. WHat is/are your opinion on this? Is this a generic escape route adults or threatened adults use when someone catchs them slacking off? In your opinion was I in the wrong to write that in the comment section of my written warning?

Thanks for your input.

not enough info, but it sounds like.
people dont get fired (layed off) from a job they really want to keep, they fire themselves.
that idea anyways.
generally it is not just the employer that is dissatisfied with the "performance" of the employee but it is the employee who is dissatisfied with the Job, which creates a vicious spiraling circle to eventual self firing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

then of course 5 minutes after you stop getting the MONEY, you immediatally forget why you hated the job /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

for example, the bigest laziest kiss-arse employees that dont do a lick of work, pawn work and responcibility and error off to others easily, and are confident that they are large and in charge, get to KEEP thier jobs, while the company unloads the real workers.
this is what makes large corporate structures so efficient /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif like why it takes 4500 employees at (unnamed) software maker to fix one stupid bug.

so you wanna work there? or do you want to fire yourself?

I will work til I am fired. Infact after I said that was when the email was sent. He mentioned to me he was concerned about the low call volume after the holiday. I flashed my magic badge that opens the doors to him and said as long as that works, I plan on showing up tomorrow to do my job.

Yeah, I would love to walk off or say or do something inappropiate, but I am going to work there til I am FIRED.

To tell you the truth they are really dragging their feet. I would of fired me a long time ago.

I found a second job I hate less with more hours, but am limited since I have this one to go to first.

Sorry about the lack of details, I dont want to say but so much and am not going to post the emails.

From what I can see, he is a work place troll, like the internet trolls. Ive received over thousands of emails from him tips and tricks to the job. Some of the high points are to not talk to other associates when I am off the clock, not work hours I am not assigned to work and best of all, work the hours sechudled in blue pumpkin, if they seem wrong ask him. I had a sechudling error and was shift swapping with folks, anyway the software adopted a pattern and I was working what i thought were shift swaps and turned out that person had quit.

Other times he walks around talking to other managers about wine tasting and eating cheese while we are swamped with calls.

I was just wondering if that was a generic escape plan adults use when they are threatened.

still dont understand.
your an adult, and you also had a responce when "threatened". your just passing it back and forth between ya's, because there is some ill will brewing.

do you "threaten" ya boss, and still work? not 15 years ago, 15 years ago they would just toss you out on your fanny when they felt "threatened" now days you basically have to fire yourself.
sooo /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif all the boss has to do is cause you to do that.

and its still that person who has the most to lose, who will adjust. if he is the skate master, then he has the most to lose if:
he has to actually work again
or he looses the cushy job, which as i splained aint gonna happen.

anything else i am not understanding.

If I were you I would look for something new.

I work in a call center myself, and your team leader should be more than happy to assist you with whatever materials you need to be successful in your position without blaming you for not being knowledgeable in a new atmosphere. Sounds like the same BS I got when I worked for a timeshare sales company...

Can I ask what kind of call center this is? Outbound cold calls? Outbound warm calls? Inbound calls?

Cobb,

You said:
"Yup, as a 27 year old or so..."

At 27 years of age, you are already waaaay into adulthood. So, who are you talking about when you say, "adult"? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I am not sure that I understand what you are trying to say. I think you are saying that you are working in a high-pressure, public communication job. To be successful, you absolutely must have superior communication skills – both writing and speaking.

Chuck

I've had bosses like what this sounds like. In one performance review as 2 bullet points I was told first that I didn't take enough advantage of the resources that were the other programmers, and in the next one that I spent too much time in the design phases working with the other programmers... Then a pause, and then continued to find reasons why I didn't deserve a raise that year.

If they are really out to make you quit then there isn't much you can do about it, but probably they just aren't satisfied with your lack of back side kissing. That is such a major part of making it in those jobs. Going over this dorks head might make you feel better, but it won't make a difference in the outcome. Or at least nothing like that ever did for me.

I'd look good and hard at the 2 jobs you've got a handle on and if you think the other one will go better and you can get the hours you need, why not take it and tell the other to take a leap? Somtimes quitting can be fun /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

In my case, I had to keep the job as there was no way I was going to talk my way into another position like that and I needed the resume points. I weaseled my way through life there miserable for 2 and a half years before I thought I had enough time to make myself hirable by someone else. So I kissed their backsides, asked how I could improve (they even sent me to a time management seminar (which I was late for I kid you not /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif )) and hung out. It's been 9 years since I left that job and it's only now that the vitriol has faded to where my blood pressure doesn't rise just chatting about it here. But it served me well as time went on /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Good luck Cobb.

No, I dont consider myself an adult, maybe half grown young man. I know i am of legal age, but I dont think I am quite there.

No, no one threatened anyone. I was saying, when adults/managers/teamleaders use the "you need to take responsibility speech" when they feel their job is threatened? Meaning, I caught the boss sleep at the switch by not keeping his end of the plan?

Man, am I that unclear? Long story short....

1. failed monitors for month 1, issued verbal warning
2. made outlined plan to improve, boss and I sign
3. failed calls for month 2
4. boss made me sign written warning
5. i wrote boss didnt hold his end of plan in comments section
6. boss sends email that I need to take rewsponsibility for my actions and not blame others since he did not hold up his end of the agrement

If I knew nothing would come of it, I would be glad to post the emails.

Its an inbound call center for a very, very popular insurance company. It deals with healthcare, however it has its problems. All the call jobs are contracted out in America to call centers. We work one number, the section next to us handles another, another call center handles a third 800 number.

At my second job as a cold caller selling industrial equipment which I am very successful at, I told some of the young folks there they are not taking responsibility for their actions. Man, what a response i got from them. Its one comment that seems to hit anyones buttons, that is if you like pressing someones buttons. This job I just have a phone book, phone and computer. It seems low tech, but the working conditions are way better. Take a break when you need it, not 14 minutes out of the 4 hour shift you are there.

Sorry for the confusion, hope that clears something up.

Yeah, I dont kiss folks backsides. Before I failed my monitors I applied for a different department dealing with a very, very popular credit card. I was declined because my accent was too thick and I did not pronounce certain words correctly. ( I was truthfully told this, however i have a clear voice with a very, very mild southern accent). Everyone I tell this too says Bull as they said when they call xyz customer service they cant understand what they say and go on a rant about outsourcing jobs.

Right after that i started to fail calls as if on cue. I filed a compliant, that did jack squat. I knew when I saw the HR person eat at my bosses desk that i was not going to get a fair review.

Yeah, I think I basically messed up this job and since I am working an old job I once had, I will just remove this past 6 months from my resume and pretend i never worked there. I had hope to at least turn around to use it for my resume then put in my two week notice. After I have been poisoned from the threatment, I dont really want to work there in another department. I just had hoped with the action plan we put together we could of fixed it, but he had other things to do including blaming me that he is too busy to help me.

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

Too many employers have a policy of letting the better, more senior, workers go so a Newbie can be hired for starting wages. If your employer's rationale doesn't add up, you might be at the high limit of wages...just a guess. What's the general turnover?

Good luck to you, cobb. Sometimes an enforced change works to your benefit.

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

Sorry, this probably isn't what you want to hear, but you asked...

The bottom line is that you have to decide if you are going to succeed or not. While you don't come right out with it, it doesn't sound like you have made that commitment.

Some of your comments suggest this:

1) You suggest your boss didn't give you enough support. Well, if you were determined to succeed you would seek him out and get what you need. This can be done professionally and in a non-confrontational way. While, yes, it is his job to help you succeed, it doesn't mean it is his fault that you did not.

2) Your comment regarding working till fired seems rather passive agressive. Showing up until they lock you out is different than doing what it takes to succeed.

No, the taking responsbility comment is not a secret "adult" threat response. And, as Chucker says, YOU ARE an adult.

Sometimes doing what it takes is distasteful and unfair. It might mean doing extra work. It might mean kissing up. Sometimes it isn't worth it. But you need to decide what it is worth it to you and if so do it.

Certainly other people and circumstance are part of our failures. But it is up to us to overcome these issues and succeed.

-john

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

i think the trick is to take the heat, do the work, adjust to fit any relistic "corrections" the boss (person above you) tosses at you, and just do your job. with that slight stress for JUST the 8 hours a day, of the pressures (dont bring it home).
then eventually the "BOSS" moves on, and you move up to his position, and treat others exactally how you were treated, and go on /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif oh wait, mabey then you try to be better.

to "improve" the situations, by herassing who just herassed you when they are ABOVE you in seniority, time, supervisorship, ownership, or can make your life a less enjoyable experience, just doesnt seem to be usefull, when your at the lower end of the food chain.
moving up the ladder might have more value, than continually falling to the bottom of the ladder to complain about who is still above you, and how they treat you.


oh hey, i am ketching on.
its the TRIGGER phrases that your hitting on.
the convaluted statements that confer or is it infer, that:
the other person is an incapable being,
a lesser human,
incapable of handling the job,
a slacker
without brains
has failed
is a failure
does not live up to some expectations
ETC

why do people get all excited and frustrated, and ticked off when sombody calls them an "idiot".
I GOT IT.
well because people dont like to be called an idiot /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif even if its through convaluted phrasology attempting to dampen the actual statements, due to cultural, and socital rules and curtasies.
or feel like they failed, or cant win, or whatever.

they either push themselves harder (adrenilin), get stressed (adrenilin), or fail worse (stupor).
kinda like a mini societal brain pannic

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

[ QUOTE ]
John N said:

Sorry, this probably isn't what you want to hear, but you asked...

The bottom line is that you have to decide if you are going to succeed or not. While you don't come right out with it, it doesn't sound like you have made that commitment.

Some of your comments suggest this:

1) You suggest your boss didn't give you enough support. Well, if you were determined to succeed you would seek him out and get what you need. This can be done professionally and in a non-confrontational way. While, yes, it is his job to help you succeed, it doesn't mean it is his fault that you did not.

2) Your comment regarding working till fired seems rather passive agressive. Showing up until they lock you out is different than doing what it takes to succeed.

3) No, the taking responsbility comment is not a secret "adult" threat response. And, as Chucker says, YOU ARE an adult.

Sometimes doing what it takes is distasteful and unfair. It might mean doing extra work. It might mean kissing up. Sometimes it isn't worth it. But you need to decide what it is worth it to you and if so do it.

Certainly other people and circumstance are part of our failures. But it is up to us to overcome these issues and succeed.

-john

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed.

I have been in and out of ~400 businesses in my working life. No, I have not held 400 jobs. I get to consort with the owners and decision makers. I get to hear the stories they tell about employee problems (and other ones also).

From what I have read, I would agree with the "get your act together" attitude displayed by your boss.

Why?

Why did you wait till time ran out (the eval) to pipe up and say, "hey I needed more help from you!"? That's not the time to ask for help.

Procedure manual: if you cannot copy it, then read it during lunch, while on the crapper, during break, after work, before work, or whenever you had ANY time available.

I have never seen anyone that took these extra mile steps get fired from any job. Period.

Employees that go that far will find management willing to bend over backward to help them. People help those who help themselves.



/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

I think the turnover is 20%

Its part time with ONLY a 14 minute break to sit on the crapper or get a coke. I am not allowed in the work area before or after my shift, I must sit in the lobby.

You are plugged into avaya and the calls roll in. When you log off the calls quit rolling in. Yes, I have emailed the boss and written on other reviews what I needed, they were ignored.

Yeah, passive agression sounds like me. I truthfully think the calls I fail are Bull, but I take notes and play along. I failed two calls for letting the caller hang up and call back with the correct information than to continue reading questions they did not have answers to and letting them hang up on me. Another for telling a caller where the info is located on the membership card. According to protocol only 5 ways to fail a call, hanging up, giving out eldgibility information, getting rude with the call, swearing and not reading scripts verbatrim.

Thanks John and others. No that was what I was wanting to hear. I am sure in a passive manner i have done some things to make the situation worse. I think callinga supervisor twice or more a day on difficult calls made some friction. I had an email about a call not needing a supervisor when in fact the protocols calls for to ask a supervisor if you are in doubt. I thought that would show postively in my light, but it didnt. Taking the bosses advice to file a compliant when I thought he was in error didnt seemto help much either.

Interesting you mention wage. I am paid 9 bucks an hour, however I understand others are paid less for some reason.

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

Best of luck Cobb.

Take care,

-john

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!! I got a performance review arranged tomorrow morning and focus sessions the rest of this week. Man, how did they manage to arrange a meeting that fast? I swear this is like being able to prove DWB, discrimination or UFOs.

I did write an email to my boss this morning after him about xeroxing the pages from the manual to read and explained that with my vision problems I would be better off to read this at home and sorry for any confusion it may of caused.

Yeah, I errred up. I got a better job I like with more hours, I just want to work at my current job til end of July. If the perfrmance review is one of those meetings where everyone takes their turn, I will just offer up my 2 week notice.

I am just shocked at how they can arrange such a meeting over night as it took a few days to arrange anything with the blue pumpkin software they use that arranges studd based on call volume.

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

Sounds like you wore them down Mr.Cobb good for you if that was truly what you want. I hope your next job is a better one for you /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Topper

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

Yeah, I better pucker up, huh??? I think I will just write my two week notice instead. I expect them to drive me in the ground, not praise me. Blame all my problems on myself and give me a last chance or something.

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

Mr.Cobb, You need to take responsibility for updating this thread. I want hear who it went. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Topper /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Mr Cobb, you need to take responsibility for y

I wrote my 2 week notice last night, did some deep ham string stretches and packed a small bottle of mouth wash to do some kissing today. If it was bad today, I was going to just issue my 2 week notice and call it quits. VA is a right to work state, so they may and have the right to let me go on the spot or I can quit on the spot.

I deleted all my emails, and crap from the computer, went through my desk and laid out the papers I wanted to bring to the meeting. I kept an eye out to see the traffic with my bosses. I expected a performance review but negative like.

Anyway, the meeting occured. IT was rather positive. The HR lady just wanted to go over my action plan as she understood I had a problem with it. The conversation and atmosphere was rather friendly. I told her i had no problem with my boss, but i felt the plan just wasnt followed or it was my fault for not mentioning the freqeuncy and amounts of aid, coaching, etc I would received. I felt that since I have a written warning and in 16 days I could receive further action and not much was done before then. She went on on how smart i was and problem solving and was also concerned about my problems. I jsut told her we get more inappropiate calls adn esculated ones that cause me problems. Then my boss went into how they are stricker than the association is so we are better than needed and how some things are subjective than objective.

Afterwards I pulled my boss to the side and thanked him for working with me and showed him my letter and that I was just going to call it quits if I cant get my act together. That seemed to rather effect him in a negative manner.

Being legally blind I cant see facial expression and although he sounds nice and acts it, lots of the emails i receive and notes just seem to make him the bad guy.

Well, I had planned to work there til end of this month. I wouldnt relax at this point, except for the fact I had braced for a negative meeting and it wasnt.