Rejected an Assignment, 1st Time in My Career
I did something I have never done before earlier this week. I have always been the kind of engineer who management could turn to in order to pull their asses out of the fire. I could take on all kinds of challenges, even tried some impossible ones. All I ever really got was an "atta-boy" for those jobs. Well, I've been doing that for too long. Over the past couple weeks I was offered a task where I'd be working WAY over my pay level, directing multiple offices, tying to get data from a source that won't give it, etc. and was told that if I took this "high profile" assignment it would "make or break" my career. It was typical of so many of these assignments - I'd have all the responsibility but none of the authority. So, for the first time in my career I shrugged. I said, "No thanks." It felt great. I figure I'll get some fallout for this, but in the long run it will be worth it. I care so much about the work I do that if I'm tasked with building a tower of tinker toys to the moon I'll get a heart attack trying to do it. That's the engineer in me. Management picks up on that. They also, always, have demonstrated that I'm the guy who can figure stuff out. I just want to get paid more to do it, now. So...this week marks a turning point for me.
In my other line of work I'm my own boss, thankfully.
In my other line of work I'm my own boss, thankfully.
Excellent choice!
I'm reading that your management doesn't know what's Important To You, and whether they never asked or you never made it clear, there are more facts needing to be examined.
Good Luck to you, seriously!
Usually a problem they couldn't solve themselves.
The right response turned out to be "yep, I can solve that... hire me and I will" rather than to try to offer an actual solution.
They were using interviewees as unpaid short-term contractors and you'd never hear back from them with an offer.
Slimers.
Congratulations!
I reached a point with my own manager where we left a meeting with others, including the CEO, and my manager said that the project was my responsibility. I disagreed with him as the CEO has assigned roles to everyone else at the meeting beside my manager and me. I informed my manager that I am available to help with the project when requested, but my workload did not permit me to be actively engaged with the project. My manager then questioned my workload, which includes several high importance projects from the entire C-suite that have implications on the future of the company. My manager then told me to give those projects back. I was dumbstruck as the same manager told me that anything from the C-suite is a priority and i was very passionate about doing those particular projects. After a hour and a half of debating; and contemplating resigning on the spot, I stated to my manager that the projects will be done and I walked out of his office.
Hope it all works out.
It also involves, at times, renegotiation as your skillset and profitability to your employer increase. I have been with the same company going on 30 years, and in that time I have successfully renegotiated my value to the employer through renegotiation of the terms and compensation of employment numerous times to our mutual benefit. There are many factors at play, however - they compensate me fairly for what I produce for them, I like the company and the people I work with and for, and we understand each other quite well.
The rare times someone has asked me to be uncompensated for going well above and beyond are met with a polite - but firm - no thank you. They know my position well, as do I theirs. I have done things above and beyond, but only if I receive a tangible benefit for it (knowledge, skills, abilities, etc.) that -I- foresee are saleable. They know this, and that I live by it. Consequently, they don't waste their time on frivolous offers they know I won't touch, leaving that to the sheep instead. It took them a few pokes, but I'm happy, and they're happy.
Not that I won't help out in a pinch - but they KNOW they will make it right.
kind of relationship, but he mellowed a lot. -- j
.
However, one of my bosses once told me that my job was to make him look good, and if I did, he would make me look good. As at the end of Casablanca, that was the start of a beautiful relationship.
I'm glad you are going on strike in these ways.
meeting where he took credit for my work and I objected --
during the meeting. . he lit into me for insubordination,
saying that he had the right to take credit, as my boss.
I told him that he should not have lied. . he wanted
my continued hard work, so it became a stalemate.
here's to your good luck, Abaco -- may your deal be
sweeter and better, and soon! -- j
.
sir, after declining to take their bait. . they may realize
that they need to sweeten the deal. -- j
.
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