Tag: Workplace

Business is Business

This week at work, we had an "all-hands" meeting to discuss the state of the company. Most of it was presented in financial parlance, most of which was over my head, and likely over the heads of my colleagues, as we are largely a technical group. I feel like we were like a bunch of … Continue reading Business is Business →

Guess What

My son uses the phrase "Guess what." approximately 1183 times a day. I don't know if that's typical, but I hope he outgrows it before he enters the workforce. I can imagine it will not be necessarily appreciated: Hey, Boss! Guess what. What? I ran those tests you asked for, and guess what. What? I … Continue reading Guess What →

Password Fatigue Episode 2 – Still Fatigued

And then there’s this kind of tech-insanity: “Please enter your password:” ME: ChemistryRules “Sorry, that doesn’t match our records.” ME: Pretty sure it’s ChemistryRules “Sorry, that doesn’t match our records.” ME: I just entered this earlier today. It’s definitely (types slower) ChemistryRules “Sorry, that doesn’t match our records.” ME: "What is happening!" (Types one letter … Continue reading Password Fatigue Episode 2 – Still Fatigued →

We Have Favorites Too!

I've said it before, it's not exactly fair that adults don't get their pictures taken holding a sign this time of year. We have favorites too! In case anyone is interested, my (large) sign would read as follows: It's Phil's 25th year of work! About Phil: FAVORITE EXCEL FORMULA: SUMIFS FAVORITE REPORT FONT: Calibri Light … Continue reading We Have Favorites Too! →

Aside //5 – More “Wisdom”

In a rare second-post in as many quarter-days, I offer another peek into my forthcoming* book, A Handful of You Will Be Succesful.  It is certain to fly off of the shelves, and not in the super-cool Harry Potter way. Thanks for absorbing more of my wise words reading! Words of Wisdom for the Class of … Continue reading Aside //5 – More “Wisdom” →

9// Niceties

The meeting request from the sales manager said that The Scientist was "cordially" invited to a work-related dinner later that week.  While most would consider it a pleasant thing to be invited to ANY dinner, he supposed, and while the restaurant the company was springing for was fairly upscale (or so he had heard - he … Continue reading 9// Niceties →

6// Grudges

December 1968 - Merritt Island, Florida The West Break Room was empty, save for Senior Aerospace Engineers McMilty and Dumas, who sat alone at one of the rectangular white tables. Each man was dressed in the standard black pants and white short-sleeved button-down shirt favored by the scientific professional of the day. Their thin black … Continue reading 6// Grudges →

4// Greetings

He'd been very intrigued and even mildly disturbed, as of late, by the salutatory phrases people chose to throw around, particularly in the workplace.  To some of these greetings, he had absolutely no idea how to respond properly.  A recent example was the question, "What's the good word?" As in, "Happy Friday! What's the good word?" While he … Continue reading 4// Greetings →

1// Merging

We've all gone crazy lately. ~Elton John He was repeating the tired cliché to himself again, as he drove down the familiar and brutally cold stretch of interstate. How was it already the first day back to work after the holidays? Again? Time didn't just fly, it seemed to blast forward, barely visible, like a … Continue reading 1// Merging →

Workplace Observation #2

We have one of those fancy lamination machines at work, those contraptions which heat-press plastic over sheets of paper to protect and preserve them against the elements, such as dirt and grime, helping to eliminate wrinkling and curling. Someone has printed out the machine's instruction page and placed it next to the machine, where it … Continue reading Workplace Observation #2 →

Workplace observation #1

Of all the skills I have acquired in my current profession, I have to say I'm probably most proud of the timing with which I respond when I get an email saying there is free food in the break room. You never want to be the first (desperate) and you never want to be the … Continue reading Workplace observation #1 →

The Missing LinkedIn Feature

If you're on LinkedIn, you'll likely know that you can endorse people for certain skills. You can attest to a person's abilities, experience, and qualities, characteristics which they themselves have highlighted as their core competencies, and which they, apparently, feel might make them marketable: For example: Does Carl know about quality control? Yes, he does. Is … Continue reading The Missing LinkedIn Feature →

SRS Report for the Week of May 28, 2017

The break room refrigerator. If anything will make you want to withdraw from the rest of humanity, it is this abomination. And I say this knowing I'm part of the problem, adding my own spicy leftovers to the already volatile mix. But there are some smells emanating from that thing which defy even the most … Continue reading SRS Report for the Week of May 28, 2017 →