Quitting The Day Job

You are a 3

From the “Why I want to quit the day job” files….a former co-worker of mine sent a recent email to me: “Do you have yearly reviews with your manager?”  She was about to have her yearly review but voiced some misgivings about the process.

I responded and told that yes, we do have yearly meetings.  They involve review and “goal setting” for the next year.  In addition we have mid-year “check ups”.  I went on to explain to her exactly why I deemed these a complete and utter waste of time.

My reason was purely personal.  On our review form, we are rated by our managers on a scale that runs from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest).  We are giving rating in various areas that are related to our job.  As we started in on our review, we hit an area that could roughly be called “Trouble-shooting”.  This is an area that I am now and have always been extremely strong in.  So much so that I am called directly by our users instead of them calling our “help desk”.  I’m called by the “help desk” when they can’t figure out problems.  I’m called by other teams to help them.  This is what I’m good at.  My manager said “I have to give you a 3.  We’re not allowed to put anything higher.”  Not allowed? Funnier yet, in his attempt to “stick it to the man”, he put a “+” beside the 3.  Whatever.  In my zen environment it doesn’t matter to me what others think of me or my work.  I don’t control them.

What made this funnier was later I found that everyone got a 3.  Everyone.  Including the woman who spent hours on coffee breaks and at lunch and the woman who quite literally runs from person to person to say “How do I do this?!?!?”.   It included the guy who break things by messing with stuff he isn’t suppose to mess with, then calls me over to complain how my stuff that has run without problem for 5 years is “broken”.  So I have to figure out what is wrong and tell him.

My former co-worker, replied that that exact situation happens to her.  It doesn’t matter what is put down, others less deserving get the same rating.

Why does this matter?  It’s just an example to those of us looking to Quit the Day Job, that no matter how much work you do or how good you are, the man will step on you.  It doesn’t matter if you bring up valid points, or do an excellent job.  If he is required to put down that you are average, then you are average.

You know your worth, you know your potential.  The man will always find a way to hold you down and try to break you into an unthinking drone.  You are a commodity to him.  You are a number.  You are a drain on revenue.  You are a cost.  Don’t let others tell you different, unless you are working for yourself and you are your own boss with your own rules, you will never be more than a 3.

Remember that in your next evaluation.  You are a 3.