Anger Management
I am totally irked, irritated, pissed off, frustrated, angry as well as infuriated with what happened over the past few days. It was not just a classic case of asymmetric information at work; it was also a classic case of court (or in this case office) politics at work. Hmm, I bet none of you will be able to totally comprehend what happened (except for my platoon mates), but I think that it is an ever-occurring phenomenon, regardless of where your work place is.
Let me recap of what exactly happened. Saturday I went out with Edwin, so it was a good day. However, at around noon, my PC called saying that all of our Monday block off (CO wanted it) has been cancelled, and that as usual, the SPH team needs to go back to help Shane dig up more photos because apparently, commander does not want video clips for the final act of this year’s NDP, and instead he wants to make a slide show. The others (or whatever that is remaining of the others) have to go back to do some command post set up, as a foreign dignitary happens to be visiting this week. Now, at that time the full impact of all complications never set in, but later that night, after chatting with a few others, I realized how over-stretched my platoon was.
You see, a quarter of my platoon happens to be attached out to another unit, helping that unit do their exercise (I shall not name which unit), since their commander had requested my unit to help out. Ok, fine, that was already pre-arranged, so it’s fine. But, since another quarter of us need to be at SPH, that leaves like barely half of my platoon back in camp. Take away 1 who is clearing, and another 2 who are leaving on Tuesday, that leaves like 1 quarter of my platoon in camp. Minus away the store personnel as well as the clerks, that leave only 2 working personnel in camp. So what? Yes, it means that there are only 4 people on the first 2 days to set up the command post, while for the rest of the week there are only 2 to do it. That is madness!
Ok, then on Sunday morning (oh yea, the Padang people worked till 2330 hours, before rushing home on the last train), after talking to the others, apparently a particular person wants dave and wj back in camp on Wednesday to go down Padang and maintain the equipment there. Ok, so I was thinking, could it be because Shane never requested for all of us to be at SPH to do the work there?
From now on, the case of asymmetric information happens. What happened was that Sunday night, we went out for a late supper (me, elvin, dave, jh) and so we started talking about our predicament (as well as our platoon’s). So yea, elvin confessed that he told Mr. PC (PC for short), that we only Monday and Tuesday that we are actually working, well the other days are on stand by, so PC wanted to recall the other 2 back. Then, he told me that PC had the cheek to say that our platoon is more free than the other platoons, so it is logical that we help do 26 guard duties (mind you, there’s only like 11 of us) for next month. Furthermore, he claims that since we seldom do duties, it is only understandable. That is so rubbish. After all, we had been working like mad over NDP ever since the last quarter of last year, and we have also been involved in a lot of other stuff too. I don’t exactly see people having headaches over things which are not what the SAF prepares them for, unless your telling me that the SAF prepares you to do the unexpected.
Anyway, after talking to Shane on Tuesday, we started to realize how badly our previous PC, Mr. Mop, cheated us. Firstly, apparently OC told people that if they can find 5 errors in the CD, he would reward them with half a day of off. NOW, do you know how badly deprived we are of offs? We have found over 1000 photos from SPH, over 50 new events and articles from there too, as well as helped him check through the CD multiple times for errors and yet he has never reward us with any off. He will always use the argument “stay out is equivalent to off” to justify his actions, which is rubbish. I mean he assumes that we do not sleep at all in a day, and that working from 9-5 is like just half a day work. Cock man. Anyway, Shane frankly told us that he gave his platoon people like 6-10 days of off even though they spent only a few days at SPH, while we spent months! Amazing right! And best part is, he at most gave us 1 day off. Along the way, he ate like 6 days of our lunch allowance too. He is just a total idiot who definitely ate us over 15 days of off per person.
There is still another piece of shocking news. Apparently PC wanted 4 people to be back on Wednesday, so ya, we suck thumb must listen to him (Shane wanted us to rest for the rest of the week, cause he knows how tiring it was since he himself worked OT for at least the past week). Well, apparently they had some problem with the CP set up, but then, when my PS called, even if they go back on Wednesday, they could not do much since the CP must be ready by Tuesday night. So whatever, Shane managed to drag us back on Wednesday, since there was quite a bit of stuff he needs to do. Ok, but then, we heard that they need to set up CCG 1 on Thursday, when that time when we asked, they say that there was no need to do so… Oh well, like I say, some people are either just capricious, or they are just too easy-going that they always agree with what others say.
Now here comes the biggest bombshell. Duck called me to say that I got guard duty on this Saturday! And after I hear from him, apparently all of us got like at least one weekend burnt. Screwed man. So, let me tell you about my next few Saturdays schedule. Guard duty this Saturday, NDP rehearsals the next 2 Saturdays, finally a free Saturday, followed with another Saturday burnt thanks to NDP. Frustrating right!
Ya, all this is thanks to somebody who thinks that we are freer than other people. In the first place, other platoons get stay out privileges, while we still need to be in camp, and still need to go down on weekdays to Padang too. On top of that, our weekends are burnt too. Throw in our core jobs as well as other multimedia stuff (yea, now we have become Shane’s workers as well), and guard duty, oh man, it is just extremely taxing on all our bodies. So yes, we can see an obvious case of either miscommunication or asymmetric information, as well as a typical case of how somebody easily use others as stepping stones so that they can climb up further, as well as a case of not caring for those beneath you, and just making others work hard while you ignore their concerns!
Sigh! And CO is changing in September, plus exercises, how can I expect to clear in peace when my time comes? Hmm, I have no idea how we are supposed to keep to our supposedly 10 days of off, since there is absolutely no opportunity for us to take off nowadays. Screw them. And they better don’t do anything funny with my offs, or else I will be more than just pissed off.
Yea, after typing all this out, I do feel much better. I’m sorry to those who got in my line of fire earlier in the day. I was just too vexed out and I needed an outlet to vent it all out, so it was quite unfortunate that you got shot. Really sorry, and please don’t be angry with me. =)
Let me recap of what exactly happened. Saturday I went out with Edwin, so it was a good day. However, at around noon, my PC called saying that all of our Monday block off (CO wanted it) has been cancelled, and that as usual, the SPH team needs to go back to help Shane dig up more photos because apparently, commander does not want video clips for the final act of this year’s NDP, and instead he wants to make a slide show. The others (or whatever that is remaining of the others) have to go back to do some command post set up, as a foreign dignitary happens to be visiting this week. Now, at that time the full impact of all complications never set in, but later that night, after chatting with a few others, I realized how over-stretched my platoon was.
You see, a quarter of my platoon happens to be attached out to another unit, helping that unit do their exercise (I shall not name which unit), since their commander had requested my unit to help out. Ok, fine, that was already pre-arranged, so it’s fine. But, since another quarter of us need to be at SPH, that leaves like barely half of my platoon back in camp. Take away 1 who is clearing, and another 2 who are leaving on Tuesday, that leaves like 1 quarter of my platoon in camp. Minus away the store personnel as well as the clerks, that leave only 2 working personnel in camp. So what? Yes, it means that there are only 4 people on the first 2 days to set up the command post, while for the rest of the week there are only 2 to do it. That is madness!
Ok, then on Sunday morning (oh yea, the Padang people worked till 2330 hours, before rushing home on the last train), after talking to the others, apparently a particular person wants dave and wj back in camp on Wednesday to go down Padang and maintain the equipment there. Ok, so I was thinking, could it be because Shane never requested for all of us to be at SPH to do the work there?
From now on, the case of asymmetric information happens. What happened was that Sunday night, we went out for a late supper (me, elvin, dave, jh) and so we started talking about our predicament (as well as our platoon’s). So yea, elvin confessed that he told Mr. PC (PC for short), that we only Monday and Tuesday that we are actually working, well the other days are on stand by, so PC wanted to recall the other 2 back. Then, he told me that PC had the cheek to say that our platoon is more free than the other platoons, so it is logical that we help do 26 guard duties (mind you, there’s only like 11 of us) for next month. Furthermore, he claims that since we seldom do duties, it is only understandable. That is so rubbish. After all, we had been working like mad over NDP ever since the last quarter of last year, and we have also been involved in a lot of other stuff too. I don’t exactly see people having headaches over things which are not what the SAF prepares them for, unless your telling me that the SAF prepares you to do the unexpected.
Anyway, after talking to Shane on Tuesday, we started to realize how badly our previous PC, Mr. Mop, cheated us. Firstly, apparently OC told people that if they can find 5 errors in the CD, he would reward them with half a day of off. NOW, do you know how badly deprived we are of offs? We have found over 1000 photos from SPH, over 50 new events and articles from there too, as well as helped him check through the CD multiple times for errors and yet he has never reward us with any off. He will always use the argument “stay out is equivalent to off” to justify his actions, which is rubbish. I mean he assumes that we do not sleep at all in a day, and that working from 9-5 is like just half a day work. Cock man. Anyway, Shane frankly told us that he gave his platoon people like 6-10 days of off even though they spent only a few days at SPH, while we spent months! Amazing right! And best part is, he at most gave us 1 day off. Along the way, he ate like 6 days of our lunch allowance too. He is just a total idiot who definitely ate us over 15 days of off per person.
There is still another piece of shocking news. Apparently PC wanted 4 people to be back on Wednesday, so ya, we suck thumb must listen to him (Shane wanted us to rest for the rest of the week, cause he knows how tiring it was since he himself worked OT for at least the past week). Well, apparently they had some problem with the CP set up, but then, when my PS called, even if they go back on Wednesday, they could not do much since the CP must be ready by Tuesday night. So whatever, Shane managed to drag us back on Wednesday, since there was quite a bit of stuff he needs to do. Ok, but then, we heard that they need to set up CCG 1 on Thursday, when that time when we asked, they say that there was no need to do so… Oh well, like I say, some people are either just capricious, or they are just too easy-going that they always agree with what others say.
Now here comes the biggest bombshell. Duck called me to say that I got guard duty on this Saturday! And after I hear from him, apparently all of us got like at least one weekend burnt. Screwed man. So, let me tell you about my next few Saturdays schedule. Guard duty this Saturday, NDP rehearsals the next 2 Saturdays, finally a free Saturday, followed with another Saturday burnt thanks to NDP. Frustrating right!
Ya, all this is thanks to somebody who thinks that we are freer than other people. In the first place, other platoons get stay out privileges, while we still need to be in camp, and still need to go down on weekdays to Padang too. On top of that, our weekends are burnt too. Throw in our core jobs as well as other multimedia stuff (yea, now we have become Shane’s workers as well), and guard duty, oh man, it is just extremely taxing on all our bodies. So yes, we can see an obvious case of either miscommunication or asymmetric information, as well as a typical case of how somebody easily use others as stepping stones so that they can climb up further, as well as a case of not caring for those beneath you, and just making others work hard while you ignore their concerns!
Sigh! And CO is changing in September, plus exercises, how can I expect to clear in peace when my time comes? Hmm, I have no idea how we are supposed to keep to our supposedly 10 days of off, since there is absolutely no opportunity for us to take off nowadays. Screw them. And they better don’t do anything funny with my offs, or else I will be more than just pissed off.
Yea, after typing all this out, I do feel much better. I’m sorry to those who got in my line of fire earlier in the day. I was just too vexed out and I needed an outlet to vent it all out, so it was quite unfortunate that you got shot. Really sorry, and please don’t be angry with me. =)
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