Horrible Bosses: The Triumvirate of XYZ

Photo credit: dishmag.com

I'm writing this for a friend.* Seriously. Why? Because that's what friends do! Duuuuh.

My friend has a problem. Well several to be honest. Okay, let's put it this way--my friend has one problem that can be mostly divided into three. Lets call it the Triumvirate of XYZ.

Problem X, Problem Y and Problem Z. The X and Y could possibly represent the chromosomes that are found in the divisions of my friend's problem. Z is just weird.

My friend works in an environment that is very culturally different from what he is accustomed to. My friend works for more than one department. He has a very interesting organizational structure and has to answer to multiple bosses. Sounds fun right?

Beneath the "big bosses" are a couple of sub-bosses if you will. Despite so many people to answer to, my friend gets along pretty well with everybody. He hasn't had any major issue since being at his place of employment. However, beneath these sub-bosses are people who are like their assistants/understudies. Out of the five understudies emerges the Triumvirate of XYZ.

X tends to email a lot. That in and of itself is not bad, but my friend gets annoyed that X, who sits a grand total of about 17-20ft away, will call almost immediately after hitting send, to give the same instructions that were contained in the email. 10 minutes later X will call to find out if the task was already completed, even though she said he should let her know when he's done. This greatly frustrates my friend. If he could. He would block her number. and IM... and eventually emails if necessary. He hasn't figured out how to as yet.

Y is THE WORST of all 3. Y LOOOOVES to email, copy the entire company in the email, then walk over 1 minute later to ask if my friend saw the email. My friend wishes to punch Y in the throat sometimes. Just for the heck of it. Y also believes that everything he has to do is top priority, and behave as if he works harder than everyone else, even attempting to lord his alleged 12 hour shift over my friend. Some nerve. It's not my friend's fault that he isn't allowed to do O.T.. Y would love if my friend dropped all he had to do and do all his bidding at his behest. Sounds like Y needs a minion.
Y likes to bring some impossible tasks to my friend, or things that aren't part of my friend's job to do and if my friend tries to wiggle out of it, of course Y sends another email and copies some more important people. My friend sometimes responds "ok" in email in the hope that Y will negate coming to his desk. It doesn't really work. Sometimes my friend gives Y the death stare. And a slight attitude. He's not sure if Y is aware when he's received either of the two. He intends to continue to do this.
My friend believes people should do what they're supposed to and not try to pawn their stuff on him. I would agree.

Z is very, very, weird. Z talks in a kind of whisper that irritates my friend. He also moves his head a lot while speaking. Z's boss, who is one of the sub-bosses seems to like to communicate to him and not to my friend. Z then tries to tell my friend what to do, but my friend banishes him and lets him know that his boss ought to communicate whatever is needed directly to him. If what is required entails helping out, then, and only then will my friend listen to Z. Hmm, maybe my friend should redirect his frustration to Z's boss... Hmm. oh well, Not my problem.
My friend says one time Z tried to get him to do his work. Little did he know that my friend was smarter than that. My friend got all the materials for the task, brought them to Z's desk and let him know all he needed was there. With that, my friend returned to his desk. Z never knew what hit him. Of course he had to do it. Z also likes to put on this desperate look, like he'll die if he doesn't get help from my friend/get my friend to do his work. My friend usually doesn't care for the look; and Z is still alive when last I asked, sooo... yah.

It amazes my friend that most of the actual bosses hardly require much, while their subordinates seem to be the ones always in his skin. He knows however that it is only for a time, and will continue to do the best he can, and do what he's supposed to do. If someone gets punched in the throat though, he has asked me to testify that he has been going senile. I'll let you know how that goes.

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Finally out of this blogging slump! Mercy! I can't tell when last I wrote something! *checks* February 26, 2014. WOOOW! 7 months ago. Maaaan. Guess I really took a Sabbatical from blogging. I suppose that's how it is when you have work, church, singing, basketball, tennis, bass guitar, gym, occasional outings and whatever other randomosity you wanna put in there. I hardly watch anything on TV except for sports. I really need to do better. Ah well, till next time! Maybe then I'll write something about me, and let y'all know how things are going. We shall see!


P.S.
*This post may or may not have been for a friend.
  Also N.B. this was not a rant :)