Tuesday - Too big for their boots

Gareth couldn't log on to his PC today. He spent a good few minutes enduring Handel's water music before he slammed down the phone and marched upstairs to IT.

In the meantime Anne called her usual Tuesday morning meeting. Gary, the new bloke was at her side.

'I don't understand their lack of commitment,' she moaned. 'We're not clearing these backlogs and yet, by a second past 5 o'clock. Their PC's are switched off and they're out the door.'

I tried to explain that most of them were young and all they wanted to do was work their hours, and collect their paycheck so they could go out on a Friday night. This wasn't a career for them and they weren't paid enough to care too much about it. But Anne didn't comprehend. I half expected her to exclaim- 'A nightclub? What's a nightclub?' in the style of Lady Bracknell.

AS continued. 'It's our own fault for giving them the job title of Customer Service Executives. We're asking for trouble. They've all got ideas above their station and think they're more important than they are. They're too big for their own boots.'

At this point Jez, Tracey and Gary were nodding like those dogs you see in the back of cars. Gary piped up. Smiling as always. Determined to make an impression.

'I recommend that establish a way of managing the productivity of the team on a daily basis. Perhaps we need to introduce a methodology that would measure the output of each executive so that we can assess effectiveness.' He said.

Anne liked it.

'You mean a time sheet?' I said.

'That's it,' said Gary enthusiastically.

I returned to the team where Gareth was sulking. He'd gone up to IT in his usual brash manner and told them his PC wasn't working. In no uncertain terms the techie guy had said to him: 'What do you mean it's not working? What isn't working? Turn around. Walk out the door. Come back in again and then explain to me exactly what has happened,' Gareth was told.

They fixed his machine and he could log on again.

'I don't understand it,' said Gareth. 'I changed my password yesterday as it was end of month. And today I couldn't log on. Same thing happened last month as well. And the month before that. In fact it happens every month.'

'And when you logged back on this morning did you use your old password or the new one you set yesterday?' I asked him.

Gareth looked puzzled for a moment. 'Ahhh!' He said as the penny dropped.