May 12, 2011
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Texas Swagger
I work in boys club, and I like it. If you fuck up, they tell you. You don’t get pats on the back for keeping up the good work, because that’s what you’re paid to do. You get points for falling on the sword, owning it, and licking your wounds and moving on if something went wrong.
People get chewed out where I work, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is not some sort of corporate evangelism… it’s more of a breath of fresh air instead of the office politics and passive aggression that goes on. If you don’t get rewarded here, you know why. And I like that. We’re not belligerent. It’s not like management goes around causing un-necessary stress in hopes of a productivity transcendence. Managers who create superficial stress and expect people to grow from those environments are just sadistic fuckers. The people I work with tell it like it is. Yes, it stings sometimes, and sometimes I go all girl mode and stagger into the nearest bar to drink my sorrows away. But what comes out of the haze after a fifth of scotch is a resolve from having the opportunity to fix things. That there’s no behavior patter that can’t be unlearned with the right dedication and attention- assuming you knew that it needed fixing to begin with.
If I fuck up, my boss has my back. Not in an, aww, that’s okay, people are human way. It’s more like a message to our bosses saying, we’re responsible, and we’re dedicated to resolving this together. If there’s a sticky situation, it’s enough for him to say to his bosses, “We’ve talked about it and found a resolution.”
I think it’s because our words mean something here, and it’s a message that carries through our organization. We’re here to do a job, and do it well. We are dedicated to providing the best services with the best people. That only happens when there is a true commitment to identifying problems and fixing them. As an organization, and as professionals- we call out what is wrong and fix it. Our confidence comes through in knowing that if something were wrong, we’d be told… and that we’ve been through the wringer a few times to know that we’re pretty darn solid.
I’m happy where I work, because I know where I stand. If I’m on a chopping block, I’d be told. If I were on a stunted career track, I’d definitely be told what I needed to do to get into shape. We don’t carry driftwood here… and maybe it’s that Texas swagger.
