I feel I’m in a similar position. It’s not that I’m not working but I’ll often realize, in hindsight, that I’ve spent way more time on something than it was worth. This kind of single track mind also has me waiting last minute to finish a lot of work when the deadline knocks me straight.
One thing I’m going to try is putting everything into some kind of planner. Like my own personal scrum board. I know your case is a bit different but curious if you’ve found some tips and tricks that helped
For an example: I am enrolled in a woodworking class my Park District has. It is $50 for about 8 classes. YouTube is great but having an expert to ask questions to is priceless.
I am also planning on getting a membership to a maker community that has a full shop (just bring your own wood). All the tools you could need. Especially valuable since I live in an apartment and can’t set up my own space if I wanted to. Plus they also have things like metal welding, textiles, electronics facilities and more if I want to branch out from the woodworking. $50 a month. The people I’ve met there also buy in to the community aspect so they are very, very helpful.
Make use of these options if you have them in your city.
In jest, I had a teacher say something along the lines of “Nobel Prize winners are experts at the end of their careers or the novices at the beginning.” Thinking outside the box can be made so much easier when you don’t know where it begins and ends
TLDW
Tablets aren’t bad but if you don’t fill your prewash compartment with detergent you’ll get worse cleaning. The prewash compartments are meant for loose powder or gel so might as well just use that detergent for both compartments
What are people washing that it doesn't wash off?! Or maybe it's just cheap machines that are that sensitive?
The only time things ever come out dirty for me is when the rotor is obstructed and half the dishes don't get any water (or detergent) on them, and that's on eco mode.
Replies laid out what it means on paper but what is the employees actual best move? Sounds intentionally impossible to climb out of.
Are they given a buyout option to leave or just sit in purgatory for 6 months?
It depends on the manager who constructs the pip and goals.
The manager might lean towards salvaging or maybe documentation. Usually, an honest manager would give some hints as to the nature. Like, maybe it’s best you look at other opportunities kinda nods. Some people are also just bad as reading the crowd and would ignore a written sign that stated “you will be fired.”
I’ve seen bad managers give a junior work that needed a whole team to resolve. I stepped in during reviews and fixed that train wreck. However, on their second chance with simpler work it didn’t turn out much better. At that point we probably soured the engineer. Later we removed the shitty manager. He took off as soon as he received his PIP.
One of my first batch of directs I took over was in the latter group. He made no connection that this could lead to termination. I would love to have heard the conversation with his previous manager. Also, he might have been feigning ignorance for more time. He quite simply just needed direct coaching on interacting with people. He went from the worst engineer to someone I tried to give the highest rankings. My manager wouldn’t have it, but we did compromise.
A lot goes on in the background, but something I never did was bend to statistics. I didn’t care what HR thought was the expected target. Some people are spineless and just rollover. Drives me mad. What are they going to do? Fire me and send me some place else for more money?
It depends on the employee and the organization. If the employee in question really has been under-performing, believes meeting the goals is possible, and wants to stay, then accepting the PIP and trying to succeed is a risky but valid choice.
On the other hand, if the employee in question is fairly certain the PIP conditions can't be satisfied, signing the PIP is a very bad idea. It amounts to written acknowledgement of failing to perform the employee's end of the employment contract and gives the employer justification to fire the employee with cause. If that's the case, declining to sign the PIP and asking about alternative next steps is the way to go. In that case, there's a good chance that the company will offer an exit package in exchange for a general release. One of the upsides of this approach is there's no PIP in the employee file, on the off chance eligibility for re-hire is a concern.
Exactly. Object to the PIP suggestion, and say it is being imposed without proper cause for a discriminatory reason, e.g. to harass and force out an employee over 40. That totally fucks their attempt to gather fake reasons to fire you, their only option is to offer you money to quit. I ran into this at a company where my good work was documented, but I'd accidentally annoyed someone really high up and strings were being pulled to ditch me.
Agreed. I can't see any possible upside for staying.
It's like if someone threatens you with a lawsuit. You don't communicate with them ever again, you tell them to contact you via lawyer and hopefully you never hear from them again.
Seems many people here relate to work burnout in general. How many others like myself are burnt out from the constant learning from work? This in comparison to what you’re doing with the tools you’ve already learned. Still 5ish years into my career and get drained
One thing I’m going to try is putting everything into some kind of planner. Like my own personal scrum board. I know your case is a bit different but curious if you’ve found some tips and tricks that helped