Disorder at work

[painfully]

It makes me anxious. I have to document whatever has been done at an installation work... So my boss, who acts as a manager, reads the project made by an engineer (reads is a very generous word) and executes it as he sees it fit. He constantly changes materials from one brand to another, or switches models or something like that. Its mostly allowed, although there are some cases that I think that he goes too far... But whatever.

Thing is, he likes to be at the site, and he is allergic to order and paperwork... So he does all those changes without telling anyone. Then, me, the idiot who has to recompile what has been actually installed... Have to make a list of materials, and then recompile their documentation (manuals, tech specs, etc.). I get this list from the project itself... But of course I cannot know if something has been changed. I can just ask him, and see IF he remembers. But I cant just be constantly asking him at every tiny step I do, its super uncomfortable...

Now, I was ready to submit the finished documentation for a project. I made 2 sub projects for some legal matter we have here in this country... I had all the docs and everything... And he comes NOW and tells me... THAT HE SWITCHED 2 MACHINES. SO EVERYTHING I DID IS WRONG. I WASTED SO MUCH TIME.

AND WHATS WORSE????? He switched a third machine and didn't even remember and I just noticed because I'm checking the receipts.. Why don't I check the receipts from the start? Cause I have to ask them to my coworkers every damn time. And they don't even know the full story, maybe they send me 3, and its actually 6. Who really knows?!!!

And then, there were 5 controls and 1 central control that I had to document... The receipts says 7+1, so who even knows anymore...

This is just an example. Other works go the same way... I know, it sounds so small. I mean, even the documentation I recompile don't tend to be read... But I want it to be correct. I mean, if I lacked some document, I don't even care, but if there is a document it has to be correct...

Its so frustrating working with him. Having to play detective to know what he actually did. He should be the one documenting all this. I cannot read his mind...

And well, this is just one aspect... The way the folders are "ordered" in the server, the way of working he has... Its a major disaster. Its a small company, and usually, basically, each folder is only worked by 1 employee cause each one only does one part of the process.. But me... I have to work in several parts of the process and I have to spend so much time searching folders and so on...

 

[maleonolo]

I'm sorry to hear that... How do people like them become bosses?

 

[Judge]

I'm sorry to hear that... How do people like them become bosses?

What Is The Peter Principle? Theory And Examples - Professional Leadership Institute

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I prior to retirement formulated inks, noticed he a change in a pigments grind could totally screw up my formula.
fortunately my bosses left me alone.

 

[Grondhammar]

What Is The Peter Principle? Theory And Examples - Professional Leadership Institute

That is brilliant, loved researching a bit more about it. Thanks for the link. So valid!

 

[painfully]

What Is The Peter Principle? Theory And Examples - Professional Leadership Institute

I wouldnt say hes bad people, hes nice. He is one of those ppl that loves his job and does 60 hour weeks always... But he doesnt expect that from other ppl and he is just allergic to order...

He has many years of experience, but he does not have studies for this. In fact, Im an engineer and hes not and he didnt study anything about this job. I should be managing the works, but I have no idea cause while I have the studies nobody trained me... Meanwhile, he does it, and he tends to do it well, but his aversion to order and his "carefree" personality, makes it difficult to put any kind of order...

I have been for months in this job and I wonder how much I will learn... In another job they would probably throw me in the construction site and let me figure it out. Its hard and I dont like it, but tbh thats how you learn the most. In this case, since he loves his job so much, he just does all that, and I just do paperwork... I mean, in the end... It isnt that bad... If I had this job until I retired, it would be ok. But I need to learn stuff for the future, for whatever can happen... And with my current ACTUAL experience (not years, but what I actually know), I cant get much...

Months ago I tried to ordr the folders in the server. But ofc I didnt try to make it look good for myself. I tried to basically put everything in its own already existing folder, and order the many stragglers that were around. The order the company follows is not perfect but its workable, and the other employees are willing. They mostly dont care much cause as I said, each one works in their own folder, although technically its not their folder, but the state of the project. For example, each job folder has folders inside like: application (stage 1), supplies (stage 2), construction (stage 3), etc.

But my boss.. He has his own folder... He takes the entire job folder, copies it to his own folder and works there... So then there are 2 copies of each job... Since his stage is the "final" stage, it doesnt matter much. But sometimes, there is still work to be done in stage 1 and 2, and the other employees work in the main "good" folder, while he works in his own folder... And I work in that folder too cause most of what I need is in that one, but sometimes it isnt... But it still a mess having 2 semi repeated folders for each job.

I mean, this part is annoying but not much... What annoys me is when I have to wonder if the info I have is actually good or not... And doing something and being it wrong cause I dont have the correct information. But not because of a mistake, but because its impossible this this methodology of working...

 

[Aspychata]

Perhaps get receipts from the get go and put them in digital files for each job. Each time you backtrack, send an itemized report slowing his shizz changes slowing you down so that you show him how much it disrupts your job. Generate a form that you need filled out asking for the details of all machines needed for each project, so that you don't need to hunt him down. Or come up with a idea to streamline the whole process to simplify your position and also document your work product? Just an idea, you may have a better plan than this.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Strange what he wants you to do is my strength organizing I'm anal about this stuff. 70,000 different colours multiple suppliers, various treatments, multiple substrates, various resin systems, wet sample of various primers. multiple base coat colours wet samples to make customer drawdowns so they can see what finished product will look like. I can do this stuff in my sleep just really like doing it. Sales phones me hour later panel ready for customer. What he is doing is known as critical path,

 

[painfully]

I dont know if its my strength, but I like to have things organized, but I understand that there is a limit in utility. There is a point where if you keep organizing you are just wasting time.

My main point was that he works in a way that ignores others and its like I have to go behind him picking up his trash because he doesnt want to.

I called them receipts, but they arent receipts, its the document you give to a supplier and then he answers back with the offer. For example, "machine type 1". Sometimes he replies "i dont have type 1, can be type 2?". if they say yes, then its not even logged, but goes directly in the actual receipt/invoice. The real receipts are only in the administration computer controlled by 1 person... So that is off limits. Still, the receipts are the closest thing I have to know this stuff... But I have to constantly ask for them, and I dont want to do that, and I feel like they will get annoyed, cause they have to actually search for them. They have a list, and they are not tied to a specific job...

I think Im not sure correct words for this stuff. I know english but I never have to use these words, so Im not sure. Its not construction work, but I cannot find a direct translation for the word I use, its installation work.

I just wanted to vent cause its just frustrating... I dont think there is a fix for this. He changes stuff without writing it down, so I have to constantly ask him, but as the example I have given earlier, where he said he switched 2 machines and it was actually 3... He can also not even remember...

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

As an engineer, you should be able to find more suitable employment, Last thing I did before retiring was organize all the ink wet samples so they could easily make customer samples with basecoat, ink clearcoat to get idea what It would look like knew it would fall apart within weeks.