I believe that we have had this discussion before (you can do a quick search to find it if you want to) and the out come seemed to be that it really depends upon your relationship with your boss.  I do personal things for my boss, not because I have to but because I want to.  It truly doesn't bother me to pick up lunch for her when I am getting mine.   She will buy me Weight Watcher snacks when she orders for herself.   We do small things for each other every day.  Neither one of us expects if from the other and truly are thankful when it happens.  In my opinion, the most important thing in every kind of relationship, whether it's personal or professional, is respect.  It goes both ways and when it's missing there's a problem.   If doing these things truly bothers you, then it may be best if you have a discussion with your boss to help you both set boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not.  He/She may not even realize this bothers you.  Good luck.

jak

I was part of Office Clique as well.  Mostly as a lurker (still am) but did post every once in a while (still do).  I was at a Mechanical Engineering firm and on my second company since then and am much happier now.  My does time fly.  

jak

It drives me crazy when my pens and hi-liters go missing.  I buy my pens and hi-liters myself because they are the ones I like, but don't necessarily fit into my departments budget.  They eventually disappear and I have to conduct an office round up or just kiss them good-bye and make a trip to the nearest Office Depot/Staples.  

jak

Boobie Chickentush - Checking in from the Great North East.

I take the Good ol' MBTA (Mass. Bay Transit Authority) in the form of the "commuter rail".  I have a ten minute drive to the train station in the next town over from me and the train ride can range from 50 minutes to an hour - it just depends on the # of stops ("express" or "local") and the # of people at each stop.  After the train, I have a 5 minute walk to my office.  All in all, it's not too bad.  I can drive if I want to, but do so only on a rare occasion.  The cost for gas and the wear and tear on my car is not worth driving into Boston every day.  

I have a friend who learned the hard way that not only should you file a police report on the day of the crime, but also in the city/town where the crime happened.  Now I know that this seems like it would be common sense, but when you are in the moment, simple things like this just don't enter you line of thought.  

I had my purse stolen from my college library many many years ago.  I filed the correct reports, cancelled my cc's and whatnot and yet I still encounter problems because of this.  It's a long road sometimes even when you do everything right.  

Good luck, I hope you have clear sailing from here on out.

jak

I too would have a hard time with all the extra U's. My spelling is bad enough as it is, I don't need any extra challenges. .  Can we keep the 4th of July?  I like that holiday, no gift exchanging and the weather is generally beautiful.

Being from Boston,  I have to agree that there is a huge difference in Northern and Southern US.  Some good, some bad, some funny and some not so funny.  I have had vendors ask me if I am really from here, because I try to keep the "Boston" out of my vocabulary when speaking on the phone.  There are times when I slip and make myself cringe, but hey- I can't help where I was born and raised.  There are  also times that I talk so fast, that I don't even know what I just said.

I do tend to be protective of my bosses time.  She is in meetings almost all day every day, at the beginning of each month I try to schedule time for herself on her calendar everyday.  Sometimes I am able to stand firm on that time, other times I have to be a little more flexible.  I will pick her up lunch when she needs it, this is never a problem for me.  We have a great relationship - friendly but also very respectful.  I have had my fair share of not so great bosses who I have done the same things for, it does make a difference when my actions are appreciated everyday as well as in my yearly review.  As a side note, I am just getting started on Weight Watchers; she, as a lifetime member, has been very supportive of me and the challenges I face.  When she noticed a WW meal in the freezer which happens to be a favorite of hers that she can not find anymore, she asked me to pick a few up for her the next time I saw it, which I did without any qualms.  My personality tends to be the nurturing type so going the extra step to help some one out is natural for me.  Don't get me wrong, I am by no means a doormat  - I  have and will stand up for myself when needed (hence Evil Jill), but for the most part I see no problem doing the little extra things that make my bosses work life easier.

I like Evil Jill.  She is a very good friend and definitely comes in handy on special occasions.

E-mails don't have to begin with a greeting, but it is a polite way to start a request.  Although, I would almost rather that the person not include my name unless you know me personally or professionally.  The reason for this is because I have the same issue with people misspelling my name or getting it completely wrong.  My company uses the firstname_lastname@ABCCOPR.com format and you would be surprised at how many people get my name wrong.  In the whole scheme of things, it's not really a big deal, but my name is so darn simple that it still astounds me when I speak to a person, give them my e-mail address and they still address the e-mail to Jim instead of Jill.  How daft is that??  My last name can be used as a first name so that adds to the confusion as well.  I can't tell you how many times I get e-mails address to my last name.  Most days it makes me laugh, other days when evil Jill is visiting, it just pushes me over the edge.

Thanks for checking in with us, we are all happy to hear that you are safe.  Is there anyone else that you can think of who hasn't checked in yet?  How about our DD staff members??  Pat, I am sure that your son will contact you as soon as he can.  Take care everyone.  Be safe.

Jill

Pat,  

Congratulation!  You deserve that kind of review & pay increase.  I know you will have no problem "living up" to his expectations and your review.  You already do that and more every day.  Enjoy your moment!

jak

too funny!

I think I would hurt myself laughing if someone I know did this.  It pays to take time to read the directions first now doesn't it?

this post was deleted at the poster's request

Edited by jackie on 28/05/05 09:43 AM.

That sounds like my experience before finding this position.  I knew within the first month it was a "bad fit" and pretty much struggled through the next five months living a nightmare every day.  I was pulled into my supervisors office more times than I can count.  She wrote me up for every little thing I did and wouldn't accept responsibility when she made the very same mistakes or worse.  It was such a blow to my self esteem.  I am still amazed that I let her beat me down like that, I usually have a very health sense of self worth and confidence.  She beat me at every turn.  When finally given the option of resigning or being fired, I resigned.  That was two years ago May 22nd, yes the day still sticks in my head.

I took the summer off, hung out with my nieces & nephews while kind of looking for a job.  In September of 2003 I started my job search in earnest thinking I would have no problem finding a position that would fit my skill level and needs.  Boy was I wrong!  It took me until April of 2004 to find and accept a full time position with a company that I liked and thought I would be happy with.  

Today is my one year anniversary with my current employers and I know every day that I am blessed.  I work for a company that values it's employees not matter which position they hold.  I work in a department that is diverse and enriching not to mention  filled with a great bunch of people.  I support the CIO who likes me, respects me, and who is helping me grow professionally.  Her direct report management, who I also support, treat me the same way she does.  

I am happy that nightmare is behind me found a place I can see myself staying and growing with for a long time..  Although I still cringe when one of my supervisors say they need to "speak" to me or say "when you have a moment" .  I attribute that kind of response to a mild case of post traumatic stress!

Happy Friday and enjoy your weekends!

jak