Professional Darwinism: Update to OP on p.74

[Darcy]

But honestly, I don't know how this show works anymore.  I know I'd be suspicious if someone showed up at my workplace with cameras in tow, talking about filming a documentary about so and so getting back into the work force/changing careers, etc.

I'm with you there.  When the show first came on, I was enthralled, but I simply couldn't understand how it would work for more than one season - two, tops.  After that, it gets kind of obvious that *something* is going on when you get a 'new' employee for only one day, followed by cameras. 
There was one episode when the trainer actually said, 'I feel like I'm on Undercover Boss'.   I don't think it'll last much longer.  You can't feel all of the people all of the time.

There's a show called Bait Car. It's where officers leave a car in a high-theft area, rigged with trackers and hidden cameras, and wait for the thieves to come to them. Without fail, you get plenty of people scoping out the car, saying aloud "it's probably a bait car", and yet deciding to steal it anyway.

At least their stupidity is entertaining.

[alkira6]

My husband asked me if I would recognize my company's CEO if he did something like this. I said of course I would. He asked how I knew. I told him that it was because our CEO is French and has a very distinct accent. 

Our CEO is orange.

He spends a LOT of time in his tanning bed that is in his penthouse office.

Our CEO is almost 7 feet tall.

Mixed marriage on the parents part?

[MrTango]

I'd be suspicious that anything on reality tv would show how things are "really done" at a company.

Agreed.  Unless it's on "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe.

[deadbody]

My husband asked me if I would recognize my company's CEO if he did something like this. I said of course I would. He asked how I knew. I told him that it was because our CEO is French and has a very distinct accent. 

Our CEO is orange.

He spends a LOT of time in his tanning bed that is in his penthouse office.

Our CEO is almost 7 feet tall.

Mixed marriage on the parents part?

Half Oompa Loompa half giant?

[workerbee]

I've got one from today's staff meeting. There's some history with this staff member, so maybe I'm judging a little harshly, but I found this just over the top.

Our director was telling us about an upcoming out-of-office event that we were all expected to attend (part of our job is networking with other professionals in our field). Co-worker immediately spoke up and said that she needed that day off b/c it was her daughter's birthday, and "I have to spend the day with my aaaangel!"

Putting aside the reasonableness of taking the day off for that reason (even if I do find it ridiculous), I was just astonished that she would bring it up in front of everyone else!

[Softly Spoken]

I was talking to a classmate the other night about how her new position at work is going. I don't remember what she does, but she works at a computer company and she recently got promoted to a different shift with better pay and a lot of good opportunities.

She told me that she loves the job - but can't stand the people she now has to be around. Apparently most of them have some attitude/snowflake issues. She described one coworker who spent all his time on his phone doing Facebook during the beginning shift briefing. He even interrupted the supervisor giving the briefing to ask how to spell a word (so he wouldn't look stupid I guess - oops too late! ).       

[Diane AKA Traska]

My husband asked me if I would recognize my company's CEO if he did something like this. I said of course I would. He asked how I knew. I told him that it was because our CEO is French and has a very distinct accent. 

Our CEO is orange.

He spends a LOT of time in his tanning bed that is in his penthouse office.

Our CEO is almost 7 feet tall.

Mixed marriage on the parents part?

Half Oompa Loompa half giant?

"Oompa Loompa doompady do
How's the weather down there for you?"

[blueyzca01]

I finally realized that I have one, but it was purely by accident.  I think.

I have been known to do “thumbs up” when something is good or I’m giving my approval.  I’ve done it with little kids and adults alike.  /BG

I was at a copy machine doing whatever and my boss came up and told me something.  As she turned away to return to her office, I MEANT to do “thumbs up.”  What actually showed up on my hand was “the bird.”  Totally by accident, I swear. 

She turned back and asked, “Did you just flip me off?”  I was so shocked I’d done it, I couldn’t help but reply “Yep! Sorry.” 

She told me that I need to stop using my middle finger so much.  I realize now it was a total Freudian slip.  Because I hated that psycho demon b&%$# from he!!

[Midnight Kitty]

I finally realized that I have one, but it was purely by accident.  I think.

I have been known to do “thumbs up” when something is good or I’m giving my approval.  I’ve done it with little kids and adults alike.  /BG

I was at a copy machine doing whatever and my boss came up and told me something.  As she turned away to return to her office, I MEANT to do “thumbs up.”  What actually showed up on my hand was “the bird.”  Totally by accident, I swear. 

She turned back and asked, “Did you just flip me off?”  I was so shocked I’d done it, I couldn’t help but reply “Yep! Sorry.” 

She told me that I need to stop using my middle finger so much.  I realize now it was a total Freudian slip.  Because I hated that psycho demon b&%$# from he!!

Oops!  Wrong finger!  Sort of like a typographic error only with confused fingers.

[LazyDaisy]

If I have mentioned this before, I apologize.  I used to work in mental health, and one of my coworkers had just completed her MSW, and was trying to start a counseling practice.

She was showing is all the paperwork she had: lease for an office, her yellow pages ad, business cards, and a male coworker said, "Wow, you are a certified Substance Abuse Counselor?  How long did that take you?"

She looked confused.  "Well, I have my MSW, and that took --."

"No, I mean all the specialized courses, classes, and the practicum that you have to have to be a certified Substance Abuse Counselor."

Well, she wasn't one.  She had her master's in Social Work, and she always wanted to specialize in Substance Abuse, and she thought that was all that was needed.  The male CW had a substantial background in substance abuse, and he explained that the specialty she was claiming was a BIG DEAL.  It was almost the equivalent of listing PhD after your name because you thought it looked cool.

I don't know what she did with the cards.  Those had already been paid for.  Knowing her, she could well have handed them out, reasoning that most people wouldn't know.

I wonder if that may well rise to the level of illegal too -- it's certainly fraud.

Very slightly related, I've had clients in the past ask me to add the registered ® mark to their company name, or logo I just created because it looks more official and they've seen it on other companies. I have to refer them to the US Patent and Trademark Office and let them know that while I can add the trademark symbol ™ or the service mark ^sm, it is illegal to add the registered mark if in fact it has not been registered (and approved) by the relevant national authority.

[Mental Magpie]

I finally realized that I have one, but it was purely by accident.  I think.

I have been known to do “thumbs up” when something is good or I’m giving my approval.  I’ve done it with little kids and adults alike.  /BG

I was at a copy machine doing whatever and my boss came up and told me something.  As she turned away to return to her office, I MEANT to do “thumbs up.”  What actually showed up on my hand was “the bird.”  Totally by accident, I swear. 

She turned back and asked, “Did you just flip me off?”  I was so shocked I’d done it, I couldn’t help but reply “Yep! Sorry.” 

She told me that I need to stop using my middle finger so much.  I realize now it was a total Freudian slip.  Because I hated that psycho demon b&%$# from he!!

LOL!  I can't believe I haven't done that yet...

[Jocelyn]

I wonder if that may well rise to the level of illegal too -- it's certainly fraud.
 

It is certainly unethical for a social worker to represent herself as having a professional credential that she does not.  She'd have a hard time defending this in front of the state licensing board.

[WolfWay]

Things I learnt today (this didn't happen to me, it happened to a coworker):

If UberBigBoss asks you if you think we (as a department) are being more productive since his favourite new minion implemented all his new administrative rules, the ONLY answer is an enthusiastic "Yes". I'm on the fence about it actually being better, it's better in some ways but more frustrating in other ways.

Coworker made the silly mistake of thinking UberBigBoss wanted honest feedback from the front lines. What he wanted was confirmation that his superduper new plan was working perfectly. Coworker made the mistake of giving honest feedback (i.e. that for him, he was finding he was less productive with all the new rules and he felt that this applies to the department as a whole).

Coworker was then subject to 30 minutes of being hammered into agreeing that things were now better. Then UberBigBoss finished off the session by telling coworker that for an analyst he "talked too much". 

[Midnight Kitty]

Coworker was then subject to 30 minutes of being hammered into agreeing that things were now better. Then UberBigBoss finished off the session by telling coworker that for an analyst he "talked too much". 

My "UberBigBoss" is a political appointee, so we're most likely stuck with her until we get a new Governor.  She wants to move our department out to some unused government land in a remote area.  Our department serves the public.  Her preferred site is over a mile away from the nearest bus stop, limiting access significantly.  She had a "town hall style Q&A session" to hear about employee concerns regarding this move.

I don't know if it was PD on her part (probably not since she's still in charge), but certainly turned out to be PD for anyone who dared ask a question.  She was snarky, sarcastic, belittling, and denigrating of anyone who raised any concerns.  Yes, I was one of the first ones to ask a question, so I was surprised at the vicious smack down.  At first, lots of people had their hands up to ask questions, but as we watched each person get smacked down, fewer and fewer people were willing to raise their hands.  Eventually we ran out of people willing to ask questions long before the Q&A session was scheduled to end.

[Kimblee]

My husband asked me if I would recognize my company's CEO if he did something like this. I said of course I would. He asked how I knew. I told him that it was because our CEO is French and has a very distinct accent. 

Our CEO is orange.

He spends a LOT of time in his tanning bed that is in his penthouse office.

Our CEO is almost 7 feet tall.

A friend of mine was telling me about interviewing people for her company. One of the questiosn was "How do you feel about being kissed, hugged or randomly picked up of your feet?"

Their big boss is a walking, talking se**al harrassment ad. Except he honestly doesn't seem to grasp that any of it could be seen as "wrong" so he simply only hires people who will put up with him. Friend got his personal coffee maker (one of those pod style ones.) working after he knocked it off its stand and got picked up and swung around in the air for her troubles.

Then three days later he had identical coffee makers installed in the employee break rooms because he decided since he loves his so much, his employees would love them too. According to Friend, working for him is "never boring."

He'd be a Darwin type person, if he didn't own the company I guess.