June 9, 2014 at 9:16 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Try to focus on the positive
June 10, 2014 at 1:12 am
I am thankful that I work in a country that is relatively unbiased.
The UK isn't perfect but I work alongside (or have done) men, women and other (it's a complicated world) as well as those of various ethnicity, people with a range of religious beliefs (including none), various disablements (from ingrowing toenails to no legs) amongst them (of should I say us) as well as differing abilities. Progression is mainly due to the latter (there will always be exceptions) combined with ambition.
The world isn't an even place but I have found that natural tolerance in the UK IT workplace to be almost universal. Hurrah for us!!!
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
June 10, 2014 at 4:30 am
I'm thankful that the World Cup has not yet commenced. This means we can still have some hope that our team might produce some entertaining football, and even progress to the knockout rounds. (I'm English as far as the competition goes but this may apply to other nations, of which we have many in our small workplace). Sorry, it's the only non-work topic in town for a few weeks.
June 10, 2014 at 6:06 am
For the past few months I've started thinking of all the things for which I am thankful whist brushing my teeth in the morning. Helps set the tone for the day I find. Family, friends, coworkers, good health, good job, etc. Could I picture my life better? I suppose I could, but there's not really any point. That'd be a "focus on the negatives" sort of thing. If I had pictured my current situation during more stressful periods of my life would I have thought, "Yeah, that'd be the good life"? - definitely.
June 10, 2014 at 6:10 am
Thanks for the wonderful message Ben.
I am thankful for blokes like the previous responders. I am thankful for a God who loves. I am thankful for the opportunities that I have in life. I am thankful for "Top Gear", and BBC America so I can be comfortable using a term like "bloke" without feeling conscientious.
<><
Livin' down on the cube farm. Left, left, then a right.
June 10, 2014 at 7:19 am
Just like in the Snickers commercials, people tend to get grumpier when low on food.
While that is partially true for me, I know I get grumpier if it is all take and no give at work. Like if you are expected to continue to work 80-90 hr weeks and travel time for work was then also expected to be on your time - not the company time. That can make me pretty grumpy.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
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SQL RNNR
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June 10, 2014 at 7:22 am
I am also thankful for a God who loves. I am thankful to have a job that I can excel at and that enables me to live in the beautiful NC mountains.
Tony
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Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?
June 10, 2014 at 7:29 am
Some days it is very difficult to find anything positive in the work environment, but I am thankful for an opportunity to make a good living. Some days I feel overwhelmed by some aspects, but try to put in perspective of bringing a challenge - I never want to be bored at work.
Thanks for reminding me that my life is good 🙂
June 10, 2014 at 7:34 am
Each day is one day closer to vacation. 🙂
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we travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us
Don't fear failure, fear regret.
June 10, 2014 at 7:37 am
I am thankful for this site and others that guide my never-ending quest for the next solution.
"I like spaghetti because my house is made of brick."
~Paul Wuerzner on illogicality 2/14/86 - 11/6/11 😎
June 10, 2014 at 7:40 am
lkent (6/10/2014)
I am thankful for this site and others that guide my never-ending quest for the next solution.
I think that we are all grateful for the site and the well founded reliance on each other!!!
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
June 10, 2014 at 7:41 am
While there are some who have a negative attitude, too often we get painted with that brush unfairly. Our jobs are to point out the deficiencies of a design or request, to allow for a better decision. If all we are is a "yes man" when people ask us to build something that won't work, we have no value.
Recently I was asked to grant access to something for which we do not have sufficient licenses. Is me saying no an issue? Not at all. It is my job. Their job is to approach management and get budget approval for what they feel they need. If they cannot justify it, then management will have made the decision. All I did was provide information.
Obviously we need to exclude the example where someone comes to us and we don't feel like doing what they want, that is our issue and unacceptable. But when we are following policy, providing the information we are paid to provide, and the people simply don't like the answer, we still get labeled as grumpy, unapproachable, not a team player. As my kids would say, I call BS on that.
Dave
June 10, 2014 at 7:46 am
Gary Varga (6/10/2014)
I am thankful that I work in a country that is relatively unbiased.The UK isn't perfect but I work alongside (or have done) men, women and other (it's a complicated world) as well as those of various ethnicity, people with a range of religious beliefs (including none), various disablements (from ingrowing toenails to no legs) amongst them (of should I say us) as well as differing abilities. Progression is mainly due to the latter (there will always be exceptions) combined with ambition.
The world isn't an even place but I have found that natural tolerance in the UK IT workplace to be almost universal. Hurrah for us!!!
I have unfortunately seen the opposite in the US. I worked with a very, very intelligent black man named Broderick when I first started in this career. He was easily smarter and better than everyone else on the team, yet was paid less than all of us. That includes me, as a new hire, with no experience.
I have also had the pleasure of working in environments where almost everyone was a minority. So discrimination or unfairness isn't everywhere.
I would love to see the day when the only bias we have is on capabilities, not skin color, gender or religion. Unfortunately I think it is getting worse in a lot of cases.
Dave
June 10, 2014 at 9:26 am
djackson 22568 (6/10/2014)
...He was easily smarter and better than everyone else on the team, yet was paid less than all of us....
Yikes. I hope he's moved on to better things.
I'm thankful my workplace does not practice this culture.
Hakim Ali
www.sqlzen.com
June 10, 2014 at 9:48 am
djackson 22568 (6/10/2014)
Gary Varga (6/10/2014)
I am thankful that I work in a country that is relatively unbiased.The UK isn't perfect but I work alongside (or have done) men, women and other (it's a complicated world) as well as those of various ethnicity, people with a range of religious beliefs (including none), various disablements (from ingrowing toenails to no legs) amongst them (of should I say us) as well as differing abilities. Progression is mainly due to the latter (there will always be exceptions) combined with ambition.
The world isn't an even place but I have found that natural tolerance in the UK IT workplace to be almost universal. Hurrah for us!!!
I have unfortunately seen the opposite in the US. I worked with a very, very intelligent black man named Broderick when I first started in this career. He was easily smarter and better than everyone else on the team, yet was paid less than all of us. That includes me, as a new hire, with no experience.
I have also had the pleasure of working in environments where almost everyone was a minority. So discrimination or unfairness isn't everywhere.
I would love to see the day when the only bias we have is on capabilities, not skin color, gender or religion. Unfortunately I think it is getting worse in a lot of cases.
Back in 2001 I had an intelligent debate with a coworker about positive discrimination. It was in the context of inner city poverty which the demographics reported at the time was largely from a ethnically black background.
He was certain what was required was to target funding for black families to allow the to become upwardly socially mobile.
I vehemently disagreed and said that we could achieve the same thing just by targeting the poorest families in the inner cities. I felt, and still do, that if we were to base it on funding the inner city families who were poorest then we probably would be funding an extremely large proportion of black people (maybe even 100%) but that the criteria is one that is more widely acceptable. I said that it was wholly unfair to base it on ethnicity and would in the long term lead to a racist backlash. I feel that we can see that now.
It would not surprise me to find here on SSC a mature cross section of people who struggle with understanding prejudice.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
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