Ok... Where's that other shoe...
Aug. 24th, 2004 07:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kukla_tkoToday, we promoted one of the "crew" to being our second Ass Manager. (I get to be "number one." Make it so!)
The Store manager and I talked about who we were going to promote. We talked about our choices and I was delighted to discover that the Store Manager and I think alike in most regards.
People we passed over included:
* The person who was tentatively offered the opportunity to advance. She's going to be pissed. Seems to be a carreer retail person, but it shows in the mileage. She's probably in her 30's but looks like she's in her 40's from her posture, body language and most importantly, her attitude. She's bossy and doesn't take direction well, but also won't take responsibility for anything. In fact, the Store Manager is so annoyed with her attitude problems that he is considering letting her go... and not even bringing her back later in the season.
* The person who works hard, but talks a lot and has a decidedly "ghetto" slang. She could be my evil twin, physically. She and I have similar hair, build, and coloring. But... she talks like she grew up in north city. (I know, I used to teach in north city.) Her husband also works for us. Ironically, his speech is NOT ghetto fabulous. So, I don't know what she's about. Frankly, I don't have a lot of use for anyone who speaks as though they are ignorant. Come on, people. If you watch enough TV you can figure out how to speak "middle american."
* The previous person's aforementioned SO. He's bright, he's hard working, he's a fast learner, and he was actually a candidate for the Ass Manager position. However, he lacks initiative. He is going to need more training.
The person that we promoted was so surprised that she jumped and gasped when we pulled her aside after everyone else had left to tell her that we promoted her. I'll call her Chipper. She is 19. She is very bright, personable but not chatty, speaks well, learns super fast, has a good eye for detail, has a buoyant personality (but isn't hyper), knows her limitations and works hard to find ways around them, and is becoming a really great retail person. She has an eye for design and with very little coaching helped me set make-up. She's also proving herself capable of "blending" in new merchandise. We quietly gave her some subtle supervisory projects, and watched her go. She performed admirably.
And one other thing, she and I get along great, and that is REALLY important. There doesn't seem to be an edge of competition between us or any bruising of ego when one tells the other their ideas or concerns. Sweeeeet.
Of course, that other woman is going to be pissed. She, in fact, was making snarky remarks about other coworkers (including Chipper) when she thought the managers couldn't hear her. Whoops. Big no-no. She has a lot of experience, but still requires direction and takes forever to finish tasks because she simply can't quit fussing with them. There's detail-oriented and then there's painful perfectionism. In retail, and in Halloween especially, you have to have a sense of what is "good enough." There is too much to do in too little time to bother with unnecessary tweeking and fiddling.
Chipper has that sense, and the best that I can tell, she has it as an innate talent. (Hear that sigh of relief?)
So... YAY!
But wait, there's more.
See, a couple of months ago, I approached New Line Theater about the possibility of being the costumer for Man of La Mancha this fall. They were interested in hiring me for that.
They still are. They offered it to me this evening. It means a largish chunk of extra cash, and I get to make my favorite kinds of costumes. (I won't get into the designs at this time. Plenty of time to brag about my work later.)
So, I get to gulp down a largish chunk of cash right before Archon. Sweeeet.
As I said to my SO:
Wow. I got everything I wanted this week. And then some. I got to help promote the right person. I get to work in Halloween. I get to costume La Mancha! If I were a pessimist, I would be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Heh. I know where that shoe is...
The other shoe waiting to drop is:
Oh, SHIT! I'm working in Halloween! Oh, SHIT! I get to costume La Mancha!
Sigh.
Will I never learn?
The Store manager and I talked about who we were going to promote. We talked about our choices and I was delighted to discover that the Store Manager and I think alike in most regards.
People we passed over included:
* The person who was tentatively offered the opportunity to advance. She's going to be pissed. Seems to be a carreer retail person, but it shows in the mileage. She's probably in her 30's but looks like she's in her 40's from her posture, body language and most importantly, her attitude. She's bossy and doesn't take direction well, but also won't take responsibility for anything. In fact, the Store Manager is so annoyed with her attitude problems that he is considering letting her go... and not even bringing her back later in the season.
* The person who works hard, but talks a lot and has a decidedly "ghetto" slang. She could be my evil twin, physically. She and I have similar hair, build, and coloring. But... she talks like she grew up in north city. (I know, I used to teach in north city.) Her husband also works for us. Ironically, his speech is NOT ghetto fabulous. So, I don't know what she's about. Frankly, I don't have a lot of use for anyone who speaks as though they are ignorant. Come on, people. If you watch enough TV you can figure out how to speak "middle american."
* The previous person's aforementioned SO. He's bright, he's hard working, he's a fast learner, and he was actually a candidate for the Ass Manager position. However, he lacks initiative. He is going to need more training.
The person that we promoted was so surprised that she jumped and gasped when we pulled her aside after everyone else had left to tell her that we promoted her. I'll call her Chipper. She is 19. She is very bright, personable but not chatty, speaks well, learns super fast, has a good eye for detail, has a buoyant personality (but isn't hyper), knows her limitations and works hard to find ways around them, and is becoming a really great retail person. She has an eye for design and with very little coaching helped me set make-up. She's also proving herself capable of "blending" in new merchandise. We quietly gave her some subtle supervisory projects, and watched her go. She performed admirably.
And one other thing, she and I get along great, and that is REALLY important. There doesn't seem to be an edge of competition between us or any bruising of ego when one tells the other their ideas or concerns. Sweeeeet.
Of course, that other woman is going to be pissed. She, in fact, was making snarky remarks about other coworkers (including Chipper) when she thought the managers couldn't hear her. Whoops. Big no-no. She has a lot of experience, but still requires direction and takes forever to finish tasks because she simply can't quit fussing with them. There's detail-oriented and then there's painful perfectionism. In retail, and in Halloween especially, you have to have a sense of what is "good enough." There is too much to do in too little time to bother with unnecessary tweeking and fiddling.
Chipper has that sense, and the best that I can tell, she has it as an innate talent. (Hear that sigh of relief?)
So... YAY!
But wait, there's more.
See, a couple of months ago, I approached New Line Theater about the possibility of being the costumer for Man of La Mancha this fall. They were interested in hiring me for that.
They still are. They offered it to me this evening. It means a largish chunk of extra cash, and I get to make my favorite kinds of costumes. (I won't get into the designs at this time. Plenty of time to brag about my work later.)
So, I get to gulp down a largish chunk of cash right before Archon. Sweeeet.
As I said to my SO:
Wow. I got everything I wanted this week. And then some. I got to help promote the right person. I get to work in Halloween. I get to costume La Mancha! If I were a pessimist, I would be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Heh. I know where that shoe is...
The other shoe waiting to drop is:
Oh, SHIT! I'm working in Halloween! Oh, SHIT! I get to costume La Mancha!
Sigh.
Will I never learn?
