5 well known songs that remind you that you have a dead end job

Filed under Pop Culture by on July 23, 2010 at 8:00 am {no comments}

…and by you I might mean me.  Sometimes lyrics come screaming out of the speaker, and regardless of the other words that surround them they cause an emotional reaction.   The following songs contain lyrics that shine a light on job dissatisfaction.

Specifically, my job dissatisfaction.  These are 5 songs that play everyday on my workplace music system.  Here’s to being a disgruntled employee!

Piano Man by Billy Joel

Offending lyric: But there’s someplace that he’d rather be
He says, “Bill, I believe this is killing me.”
As the smile ran away from his face
“Well I’m sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place”

Rocket Man by Elton John

Offending lyric:  It’s just my job five days a week


9 to 5 by Dolly Parton

Offending lyric:  They let you dream just to watch ‘em shatter
You’re just a step on the boss-man’s ladder
But you got dreams he’ll never take away
You’re in the same boat with a lotta your friends
Waitin’ for the day your ship’ll come in
‘n’ the tide’s gonna turn and it’s all gonna roll your way

Let’s be honest though.  This whole song is about being unhappy with your job.

Stayin Alive by the Bee Gees

Offending lyric:  Life goin’ nowhere. Somebody help me.
Somebody help me, yeah.
Life goin’ nowhere. Somebody help me.
Somebody help me, yeah. Stayin’ alive.

Footloose by Kenny Loggins

Offending lyric:  I been working so hard
Keep punching my card
Eight hours, for what?…

You’re yearning, burning for some
Somebody to tell you
That life ain’t passing you by
I’m trying to tell you
It will if you don’t even try

Notable mention: Disqualified for not actually being played at my workplace

Take this job and shove it by Johnny Paycheck

What songs sum up your feelings about work?  Are you one of these mythical creatures that love their job?  Is your list better than mine?  Share in the comments.

(Photo by: shankar, shiv)

Social Masks: Have courage to be yourself

Filed under Note to Self by on July 16, 2010 at 8:00 am {4 comments}

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ~Dr. Seuss

I know someone who speaks in a false accent.  At least we’re all pretty sure she’s faking, because every now and then it vanishes entirely and she sounds like a bland mid-western.  No one is sure why she tries to pass herself as a prim Brit.  Maybe she thinks it makes her seem more important, or special, but it manages only to make her look silly.  She’s trying too hard to be someone she isn’t.

While I hope none of you are faking an accent,  we all wear social masks from time to time.  We pretend to be something that isn’t quite true to fit in with others.  We conform to what we think others want us to be, and we hide our true self for fear that we would be rejected.  And lets face it… sharing yourself with others openly, honestly and being rejected…. sucks.

So we project false traits or persona’s to protect ourselves.  Many times we have several different persona’s that we wear in different circumstances.  We repress opinions that might offend others, or smile when we really don’t mean it, and unfortunately in our society, we have to.

It’s unlikely you’d have a successful job interview if you were truly yourself.  Showing up in pajamas without combing your hair isn’t going to impress anyone.  So you dress up, you look nicer than you would for a night of playing Smash Bros with your friends.  When the interviewer asks you what your greatest weakness is you have some cookie cutter response like “I work too hard, I’m a workaholic.” When the truth is “I procrastinate too much and most of the time I’ve finished a project minutes before the deadline.”

Social masks are a necessary evil.  I don’t think you’ll lose your identity  by wearing nice clothes to impress an interviewer, or laughing at a joke you don’t think is funny.  Hopefully you can recognize yourself in your masks.  At the core, your values and personality should still exist.  Hopefully, you haven’t abandoned too much of who you are just to fit in.

Hopefully you aren’t from Iowa pretending to be British.

(Photo by Alaskan Dude)

Could you try not being an evil tyrant?

Filed under Rants by on July 14, 2010 at 8:00 am {no comments}

Don’t spur a willing horse.
~Ancient proverb

It never ceases to frustrate me how many people in “leadership” positions penalize the people who work hardest for them.  Why disparage those who work for you?  Does that ever work?  What could you possibly be thinking when you so diligently set out to destroy morale of everyone around you?

But the question that I most want to ask bad bosses and leaders is:  Have you never seen a movie?

Or read a story?  Tv even?  Seriously.  It’s really irritating to see such blatant ignorance.  The tyrant always loses.

Does anyone ever root for the heartless tyrant?

Lets look at the well known story Robin Hood.

The sheriff of Nottingham is evil, mean, pretty much without redeemable qualities whatsoever.  His greed and selfishness are undeniable.  But above all, he treats everyone around him like dirt.  He yells, he screams, he blames others for his mistakes.  Nothing is ever good enough, all he sees is failure in his people.  As a result, he fails.  His soldiers and men fear him, but they don’t respect him.  They work for money, or for lack of options, but they are anything but loyal.  Belittled, broken people will do just enough to stay off the radar.  When no one is looking, productivity ceases.  The sheriff stands around ordering people to do his dirty work and, at the end of the day, you can’t expect people to do things for you, that you wouldn’t do yourself.

Whereas Robin’s men are loyal to the death.  He treats his people as equals, he is kind and obviously a generous person.  People are inspired by his leadership to the point that the very idea of Robin Hood is what has power, the man is no longer necessary.  Robin Hood stands side by side with those who follow him, fighting and bleeding and sacrificing as much if not more of himself… and that is why he always wins.

Inspiration is a far stronger motivator than fear.  Fear is temporary.  Inspiration has a life of its own.

So again, why do “leaders”, “managers”, people in charge resort to acting like tyrants?

More importantly…..how do these people get promoted in the first place?

(Photo by gumuz)

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