My theory, my opinion, my blog

I've been working since I was fifteen.

I've had part-time jobs, summer jobs, "temp" jobs, and full-time jobs, and worked as an independent contractor... in the fields of retail, food service, manufacturing, security, health, journalism, and more. Currently I'm in a combination retail/food service position, below the bottom rung, but full-time.

I've noticed over the years that often, corporations which have multiple outlet locations, which I've seen in every one of the above-mentioned fields, all have one issue in common: Policy made at the corporate level, pertaining to the outlet level, often makes absolutely no sense when applied to real-life workplace situations.

I've seen tried-and-true customer service techniques abolished, red tape put into place where it holds up accident prevention, enforced requirements for the completion of paperwork that nobody ever reads but which quality assurance checkers look for (and no, it's not required by law, just the company), good employees lost over stupid management mistakes, and much, much more.

I've developed a theory over the years:
I think all corporations keep a secret room full of chimpanzees on acid. Corporate execs give the chimps paper, and crayons. They take the resulting drawings, put them up on the wall, and pick policy via thrown darts. Then, they institute that policy and enforce it upon those of us at the peon level.

So far, that theory is the only thing I can come up with that comes close to explaining the nonsense I've seen at every corporate-owned place I've worked!

It's frustrating sometimes, dealing with the chimpanzees.

It's also frustrating sometimes, dealing with the consumer.

Both ends of the equation have a habit of starting with a desired outcome, and then ordering it to happen without regard to the existence of a means by which it can be achieved. What's a peon to do?

Well, this one needs to vent. That is the purpose of this blog. Enjoy... or don't. I'm going to write it anyway, because I don't have a corporate chimp to tell me I can't. ^_^