Welcome Back And Quick Hellos

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Thank you, and welcome back to another episode of the Carolina Otaku Podcast. I am Afro and I am here with my co-host. Lex. You know, welcome back, you guys. Thank you for listening. And thank you for joining us for this episode tonight.

Trips Reading And Life Updates

SPEAKER_00 0:24

You guys know how we usually start these off. What we've been up to lately, what we've been doing. So, Lexi, what you been up to?

SPEAKER_03 0:30

Shit. When the last time we did a podcast, I'm trying to think. Like, what have I done?

SPEAKER_00 0:35

The last time we did one, I think you went back, you had a trip. I think you already talked about that.

SPEAKER_03 0:41

No, we did not try to talk about Myrtle Beach.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

No, no, no, no. California.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

That was work.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Yeah, that's a good one. So that was the last time. So maybe yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:51

So yeah, so for Labor Day weekend, I went to Myrtle Beach. It's like my favorite local week. Well, not local, but you know, beach or whatever. Did that, had a good time. Went to medieval times again. It was fun because I got to sit in the like the very front row. So yeah. And uh I've been doing a lot of reading lately. Um so right now I'm about to start this book called The Disappears. And currently I am reading Paranessie. Yeah. So I try to read like three books a week. So far, I've done like one uh book I read this week's called Pizza Girl. Very interesting little story, but yeah, that's pretty much what I've been up to.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Nice, nice.

Weight Loss Style Changes And Shoes

SPEAKER_00 1:33

For me, honestly, just just working, man. Nothing too crazy. Haven't been doing anything that's like out of the norm that I can think of. Just work, to be honest with you, back at the range a little bit more. Just getting ready for the fall season. I've been buying, I've been honestly, there's something I've been doing. So I've been changing my wardrobe. So I have been because I've been losing weight. Like I was at 324 and I'm down to like 313 now. Yeah. So what I've been doing is changing my wardrobe because my wardrobe is mostly a whole bunch of T's and a whole bunch of T-shirts, a whole bunch of hoodies, and pants, right? I think the last time we were on here, I was talking about these heavyweighted, these heavy-weighted t-shirts that I love the material of. And I got them and I wore them for like a couple days, but they were just too long. Like they came like mid-thigh. I'm like, this is a horrible, like, this is bad. I was like, this is bad. So I had to, I had to like try on different shirts from this brand, Shockerware. And they make a crop, like they make a crop one. So it like comes like a little bit below the waist. Perfect. Perfect. But they just don't come in crazy ass colors like the other ones. So that's what I run into. But honestly, I bought like 15 shirts, and I just bought like three of each color that they had. And I just said, fuck it. I want them. Also, I like the I think the wide-legged pants work well for me. I have bigger legs and stuff like that. So I know they work well. Like it's just they work well. And with the shirts, I'm mostly wearing relaxed jeans or relaxed cargo pants. I bought new shoes off of uh uh what was that shit called? Deep op. Yes, bought new shoes off of shop. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:24

I don't have to worry, like my shoe size isn't like something I have to like. I I'll get I wear a size 14 shoe. So and the shoes that I get, I don't wear like Jordan's and shit like that. I wear Brooks.

SPEAKER_03 3:35

So it was that, I get that, but like I've never heard anybody be like, I got shoes off deep op. That's why I was like, oh deep up, okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

It actually worked really well. Um I bought like a shoe, tennis shoe cleaner, clean them up. I bought new insoles, and they feel great and they look good too. So I was able to get like brooks. I mean, brooks are like maybe like a hundred and fifty bucks a a pair.

SPEAKER_03 4:01

It's like my Nikes.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

Yeah, like new out of the box. I was like, oh yeah, I got like two pairs of Brooks size 14s.

SPEAKER_03 4:08

I just bought a pair of Nike Air Maxes, yeah. And they didn't have them on the web. Like they had on the Nike website, but not in my size, so I had to go to like Flight Club to get them.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

I'm just like, dude, as long as I don't really give a fuck about the brand. As long as they're comfortable, I stick with Brooks, I stick with Merrill shoes, and I stick with Keen Boots. Those are my three brands that I like. I've tried Reebok's, horrible to wear, not comfortable. Puma's horrible to wear, not comfortable. Nike's are not comfortable to me. They're not like compared to a Brooks shoe, Brooks shoes are fucking amazing.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

And and what else have I tried, shoe wise? And new balances.

SPEAKER_03 4:53

New balances.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

New balance, yeah. New balances aren't that comfortable to me.

SPEAKER_03 4:58

I used to wear those when I was like middle school, elementary school new balances, but like I haven't worn any since then. I just I don't like them anymore.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

Yeah, I I knew that like even when I was younger, I mean, kids like growing up where I'm from, like people love shoes. And I thought I was that type of kid, but my feet just grew too big. I remember I remember growing up and getting, I wanted a pair of I think they were the Irison shoes, and oh man, I don't know which which version they were. I don't know what which ones they were, but if I I think if people are shoe heads, they would know. But it was white, it was all white, but it had like they were green, it had like a little bit of green in it, and I don't I don't know which ones they were, but they were white, had like a little bit of green in it, kind of like a little swoosh, kind of like close to the bottom of the shoe. And I love the way those shoes look, they were amazing, but they were just too fucking expensive. And that's when I realized I was like, Yeah, when I get older, I'm not gonna give a fuck about shoes. Fuck shoes. Like, fuck shoes. Like, uh, uh, that's dumb. I don't need that. So yeah, you know, just changing the wardrobe and oh, and I also bought one of those uh off of Amazon. You watched the Big Bang Theory, right?

SPEAKER_03 6:13

No, I've seen episodes, but like I've never been like, ooh, I'm a fan.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

So Sheldon used to have this thing that he used to fold shirts, like the little plastic thing, and it gets them in that like store type of I have one of those. Yeah, yeah. I love that shit. It is so good, and it makes shit just look so neat. It's it's really great organization, it's beautiful. But yeah, that's mostly what I've been up to. Nothing crazy.

Games Demos And Old Favorites

SPEAKER_00 6:38

Game wise, still playing Marvel Token. I wanted to play a little bit of the demo that was out for the crazy taxi, but I didn't get time to do that.

SPEAKER_03 6:46

Wait, there's a demo?

SPEAKER_00 6:47

It's already, I think it's done. God damn it. Yeah, it's I think it's done. Yeah, I think that's about it. And I saw something about like Diablo 5. Yeah, yeah, but it won't be coming out until what? Like 2029. Yeah. I mean, you know, well, we'll see how that goes. But yeah, I know that the new the the second part of the collection of that Metal Gear thing that came out, that came out. So that has, I think, uh the Patriots or something like that, whatever is on there. I'm I don't know, might copy because those are two. No, because the funny I'm probably going to because those two I have not played yet. The two that are on there, I haven't played those. So I might give that, but that's like old stink. That's like old snake. So I'll I would like to play that. But yeah.

Why So Many Managers Fail

SPEAKER_00 7:32

So, and this is something I wanted to talk about for a while, and it it because it just irks me. So, in this episode, we're gonna talk about work, and we're gonna talk about mostly just work in general. It doesn't like fuck it being in tech, I don't care. But all of us have had all of us have had managers that have been good managers, bad managers, really, really shitty managers, or managers that only looked out for themselves. All of us have had all these types of managers. And when I tell you that in my whole work career, I have only really had two managers that I was like, this person is a really good manager.

SPEAKER_03 8:11

Yeah, it's only two, like they're hard to come by, yeah, super hard.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

And and what I've realized is that a lot of people in manager positions don't know what the fuck they're doing, but it's just the label that they have. It looks great on a resume, yeah. It does, yeah, because most of the time there are people on the team that they're managing that knows more than them, but the person that should be the manager doesn't want to be the manager because of the bullshit that comes with being a manager, yeah, exactly. So it's like I rather just get paid to do the shit that I know that I'm good at and not have to deal with basically corporate bullshit and other managers that think that they're on this pedestal of I'm better than the rest of you shits.

SPEAKER_02 9:08

Yep, that's how it

The Worst Manager Types Explained

SPEAKER_02 9:09

goes.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

Yeah, so in this world of managers, there are me doing research, eight types of managers. I'm gonna go through this list of managers, and okay, I just I just want people to when I go through this list, I'm gonna say certain shit, and there is going to be something that sparks something into your head, and you're gonna be like, Yeah, I did have somebody like that, but that dude was a dickhead, but that person was a true dickhead, so I get it. Number one, the dictator, the dictator controls everything, demands obedience, and rarely accepts criticism. So the dick I don't I don't I've I haven't ran into well, no, no, I haven't ran into a dictator myself. I haven't because I think it's rare. Hmm, no, that's not true. I have, and it's not really the manager, it's more of the owner of the company.

SPEAKER_02 10:03

Yeah, I guess, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:04

Yeah, you know, I can talk to you any type of way I want to because this is mine. No the fuck you can't.

SPEAKER_03 10:12

I think I've encountered that, but I wouldn't necessarily they were like a dictator. Yeah, they were just they had been there forever, and they probably were gonna retire there, they knew they were gonna retire there, and they would just like to say slick ass shit on the floor and in front of like employees, like you talking shit about your employees in front of your employees, like that kind of shit.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Like, uh yeah, and then that goes into the whole like I know what level I am, and your word is against mine. That that shit, I man, okay. Yeah, I I ran into a dictator, but it's more of the person that owns the company and thinks that they can talk to anybody any type of way, and nobody and the funny thing is, most of the time when you run into dictators, if this is gonna sound crazy. Most of the time when you run into dictators, if you say something back to them, they you honestly like insubordination, insubordination. Yeah, they usually they usually back down really fast because we're into HR, right? Exactly. I I feel like they're the ones that when you when you say something back to them or you step up to them, they feel scared, they feel threatened. But the thing is, you've been threatening the whole team from the get-go because that's just your mo because pr I'm pretty sure this is all you got. You go home to a dog and you eat a can of tuna fish for dinner, like this is all you got, like this is it.

SPEAKER_03 11:36

I mean, you do have those employees that like work is all they have, yeah. And it's like you ain't you don't have a life outside of work, yeah. Like, I I have like current like two co-workers that are like that, like they that work work is everything for them, and like what do you like outside of work? They have no answer. I'm just like okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

I I get it, but nah, man. Because that job, because here's the thing that that shit can be gone in a minute, it can be gone in a minute just because of business being business, and that's just the way shit works. It was a company, I think, that just did some recent layoffs or are doing layoffs right now. It's a big company, too. I forgot what it was though. I don't know. Let's hold on LinkedIn. The second type of manager, the drama queen. The drama queen creates or amplifies conflict. Second guest. Oh, sorry, excuse me. Wrong one. Uh-huh. Amplifies conflict, emotional, reactive, and attention, attention seeking. I've never dealt with the drama queen shit. Just me personally. And and I think I don't think you're gonna run into like I could be wrong, but I don't think you really run too much into the drama queen shit in corporate. I feel like that's more like possibly like retail or like in like I think you find that more in environments where like you have more of like a high school culture.

SPEAKER_03 13:05

Um so like you have a cool clicks and shit and all that stuff. Yeah, so those kind of environments you'll find in drama king more or drama queen more.

SPEAKER_00 13:13

Both drama king or drama. Okay, this is the one I hate the most, and I ran into a person like this. The micromanager, bro, constantly watches work, second guesses decisions, and struggles to delegate. Basically, if you work remotely, if you don't send if they send you a Slack message and they don't get a response back in a minute or two, they're gonna be like, Did this motherfucker go take a shit and not let me know?

SPEAKER_03 13:42

Like, it's it's like Okay, I personally have not experienced that in my remote position, so thank God. But like, I've worked in places where it's like you you've done too much like personal time. Like, I gotta go take a shit. I gotta, I gotta like, I gotta go use the bathroom. Like a call came in. Like, you never know what somebody might be going through, but like I hate that. Like, you gotta give them a detailed breakdown of what you've done all day and times and minutes, and I'm just like, nah, I can't.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

Yep. The the micromanager to me is honestly, the micromanager and the dictator are pretty close knit together to me. Yeah. Just because somebody that microm, I think the best the best type of manager to me is a manager that lets the team do what they have to do. And when they and when something does happen, that manager talks to the team and says, Hey, this is what's going on, this is what needs to happen, these are the changes that are going to be done. I I I like I said, I I just think a lot of people that are in that manager position don't know what the fuck they're doing. Like, and you know, it comes with experience, but you also kind of have to I don't know, like, watch a YouTube video, like, goddamn, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 15:03

Like, it's I think it kind of boils down to like can your manager relate to kind of like you, like, okay, they may have been in this position before, like, or they worked for the same position, maybe not too long ago, you know, whatever, so they can relate and know how things are, but then you have those that have been, let's say, far removed, like they never worked in the entry level, they you know, they always worked in middle management or C-suite, and they really don't know how to relate to like frontline or you know, lower employees because that's not you know who they usually are talking to all the time. So it's right, it's just as far as like managers. If you have a good manager, thank them because there's a lot of like terrible managers out there, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

Those the managers that for example, the managers that a good manager to me is a manager I would go back for for a recommendation, like at any time or referral or whatever. A recommendation, like if if a job is like, oh yeah, we need recommendations from like two managers, yeah. I already know two right off the bat, yeah, that I can go to and I know. And here's the other thing they will respond. The worst thing is sending recommendations to a job interview or job interview process where they don't respond, and then you're in like a holdup waiting for them to get back. So, you know, it's I don't know, good managers are definitely hard to find. They are hard, they are hard to find. But yeah, the micromanager is just somebody who's just on your ass all the time. You know, remote being in person is even worse. You know, you going in every day, and this person is just like on your ass, like, hey, did you do this? Did you do that? Did you get this done? Are you doing this? Are you doing that? Like, motherfucker, yes. Can you leave me the fuck alone so I can finish? You know what I'm like, you know, and then and then have your one-on-one meetings and say, I noticed that your work is kind of slacking. Yeah, because you always on my ass. Crazy. Next, the two-faced a two-faced manager acts differently with different people, manipulates, gossips, and plays favorites. I have not run into this. Me personally, I have not run into this at all. I've never run into the two-faced type of manager, you know. I I can only like imagine a manager who like who is two-faced. Like, that's that's insane. And also, that's a lot of fucking work to do that. That's a lot of work. The two-faced shit is crazy, and also just having a favorite.

SPEAKER_03 17:40

I think managers can have their favor. I'm not gonna say like they can't have their favorite, but like don't be like overly like giving this person favoritism or whatever. Like, you know what I mean? Like, yeah, you know, we got that person that might be like a couple minutes later in once in a while. Okay, you let it, you let it pass because why? They do their work, they do everything. Like, if I ask them to do something, it's getting done. I know it's gonna get done.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

So right. It that's yeah, that's one, like I said, I've never run into myself, but I've heard stories of other managers that you know do that thing, or they take a certain, you know, they take certain people out for like lunch or some shit like that, and leave other people and all that other bullshit, you know, just on the screen. I'm sorry that you had to see that because that's that's crazy. Crazy. Next, this is also one I'm I've never really run into the loudmouth, overly vocal, are argumentative, interrupts and spreads opinions and gossip. I've never run into that either.

SPEAKER_03 18:39

You're very fortunate, I will say that.

SPEAKER_00 18:41

Yeah. I I I just never, or you know what? Maybe I have and I just didn't give a fuck. You know, like I I've had team members that were loudmouth like that, for sure. But managers, nah, nah. Is that's one that I've never run into. Um, some of these I've never really run into. The airhead? Well, yeah, yeah. I got one. Yeah, I have, I have, yeah, yeah. Disorganized, forgetful, unclear, may not understand what's happening. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I I got I got that one. That one is some that's one I've run into before.

SPEAKER_02 19:17

Yeah, I have, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

Like, like, don't know where to go with certain shit, or don't know how the application works that you're supporting, you know, not really knowledgeable about it, or sending you to somebody else to get the answers, or the person that puts more work on to you because they don't want to like step up or speak up saying, Hey, my team shouldn't be doing all of this.

SPEAKER_04 19:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

Yeah. That's that's that's I I put that in the category of airhead. You know, like you're you're here, like you're here, but you're really not here, you're really not seeing what's going on. It's like you're you have a blind eye to everything, which is not great for a manager. I I think that a a true manager should be willing to fall on the sword for your team. I really do think so, because that's the whole point of your job.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

Yeah, true.

SPEAKER_00 20:16

And then if you fall on that sword, you have to take that hit, and then you go back to your team and you tell them what was done wrong, and you fix it, right? One of my one of my best managers, the way that she would like have meetings with us, she would bring up a topic and say, What do you think we need to do with this? And she wouldn't say anything for the rest of the meeting, she would just let the team talk to each other and just listen.

SPEAKER_03 20:44

But see, you can't do that with every team, like no, you can't know that.

SPEAKER_00 20:49

Yes, yes, yes, and and the team that I was on at that time was a very mature team, so it wasn't people like yelling or screaming on top of each other, just trying to like get their word out. It was people talking and bringing real ideas or thoughts to this like kind of open meeting, and then she would chime in when you know it was necessary. So that was that was just that's I saw that as a manager, and as a manager I had, and I said, damn, that's actually a really good quality. But also, I think a good manager is based off their background, also. Like, one of my managers was had like a degree in like religion and philosophy, right? And I don't know, he understood he understood people. Like when I was like at the end of like working at a certain company, he know my my numbers were always good. And this is when I was like on the phone, and he'd be like, dude, I listen to your calls and I can hear that you do not want to be here anymore. And at the time I was looking for other work, and he was like, I know you don't want to be here, man. And you know, and he wasn't like against me looking for other work or anything like that. He was actually like, you know, supporting me to go and find other work if you don't want to be here. So that's another good thing. Too. A manager will help you kind of like get to where you want to get to if you tell them this is what you want. They'll put you in the steps or put you in front of the right people. Well, they should put you in front of the right people to get you where you want to go. Right. Not a manager that says you tell them something and they're like, Oh, yeah, you're okay.

SPEAKER_03 22:30

Yeah. And they don't say nothing else. And it never brought up again unless you bring it up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:34

Right. Exactly. That's that's shit to me. That's shit. Especially if your team isn't that big. You know, so that's yeah. The airhead is somebody who who I've definitely run into before. This one is interesting, but I've never run into this anyway. The lone wolf works alone, avoids collaboration, withholds information, and resists teamwork. I've never run into that. Honestly, this doesn't even sound like a manager. This sounds like somebody that just is on like the team who just does what they have to do and you know goes. Doesn't like being in meetings when motherfuckers just talking about stupid shit. You know, oh, these numbers here are great. Look at these numbers. This is how much money you make, dude. I don't care. Where's my check? Like, where is my check?

SPEAKER_03 23:21

Where's my money?

SPEAKER_00 23:22

Come on, like I come and make friends.

SPEAKER_03 23:24

I want my money. Right.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

You know, it's it's that whole thing that we talked about before. When when a when a manager says that we are a family, start putting in your resumes quick. Start putting in your resumes quick. When if I was back in my 20s and I was straight out of college and I got a job, is if they say if a manager said, Oh yeah, we're a family here. Nope, I gotta go. Sorry. That that family shit. I you no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You cannot be a family in corporate America. That is not the way it works. It it's it that's day, that's dangerous. That is a dangerous mindset to have or to hear. So definitely not that. I'm I haven't really ran into the lone wolf type of person for sure, for sure. And then the last one is the scatter brain. Yes, I have ran into this. Poorly organized, distracted, constantly changing priorities, and hard to follow. Yes, yes, yes, with a T, I have run into this. That type of person is a person that I would think like most I would think a scatter brain doesn't have like a backbone to stick up for their team, doesn't have doesn't have the backbone, doesn't have like, you know, if if somebody comes into a meeting and they're talking to your team some type of way, they're not gonna say anything, right? They're not gonna say shit. Or they set up a meeting and they tell you, hey, we I need everybody in this meeting. And like I said, this goes back to the person talking to your team any type of way, and that person doesn't say shit. That manager doesn't say a word the whole meeting. You are look like everybody's like, everybody's on silent, and everybody's like, You're not gonna say anything. Right. You know what the worst thing is when your team doesn't like respect you, it's done. It's done when your team don't respect you, it's done, and that's not like getting respect isn't always just like being this nice person and all this shit. It's it's about yeah, it's about saying the right things at the right time and knowing when to stick up for your fucking team. I am so happy that like even like just working in

Protect Yourself With Documentation

SPEAKER_00 25:43

general. If I ever became a manager, I would tell my team, protect your ass. If you talk, no, real shit. If you talk to somebody on another team, or you talk to engineering, you talk to a CSM, you talk to a TAM, document it, put it somewhere. If you talk to them on Slack, say, hey, I talked to this person on Slack. And if you're able to copy that Slack link into that case as an internal note, put that shit there.

SPEAKER_03 26:12

So, like that actually happened to somebody. It was they weren't a manager, they were kind of like a team lead or whatever. Yeah, and like hey, like I never had any run-ins with them, but apparently other people on my team had, and they were saying some like really off-the-wall things to people, and yeah, they pulled up the chat logs and yeah, they got fired for that.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

Yeah, yeah. You gotta protect yourself, protect yourself, protect your ass. Like, I would say say that to my team in a heartbeat. Document every fucking thing.

SPEAKER_03 26:46

So, would you be a manager?

SPEAKER_00 26:48

Would I be a manager? It all depends on the size of the team.

SPEAKER_03 26:51

I had to say it's like five.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

Yeah, I would do that, but I would honestly, you don't want me to be no manager, man. I would be so honest. I will be honest and I would protect my team. I would I would protect my team because it's not about being fucking liked by your team, it's about being fucking respected. I'ma come to you if some shit is going wrong, but I'm also not gonna throw you underneath the bus so you can just get like ran the fuck over. It it doesn't that's the worst. That is the worst. You know what the worst thing is for managers too? What what happens on a yearly basis? Raises and bonuses, but before that happens, what happens?

SPEAKER_03 27:32

Performance evaluation, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 27:35

And do you know do you know what the most important performance ratings are? It's the fucking managers, it's it's your whole team. If your whole team comes to a consensus of this person isn't working for us, can I tell you something? If the whole team is saying that, well, it's gonna be a change, it's gonna happen really fast because if if they notice that, then it's individual, it's higher-ups having individual meetings with everybody on that team, and everybody on that team saying, Oh yeah, I'm not no, I'm look, you want me to sugarcoat stuff for you? You want me to, you know, kind of make you look good? Oh no, uh man. Sorry, you you kind of so l. I can't have that. So it's I would I would be a manager to like five people, and I just wouldn't, I just wouldn't, you know, feed them BS, you know, like don't like because you meet and also you meet like coworkers that are like goody goody and oh my god, let's not no mm mm let's let's cut that right there because I can go on about that and I'm dealing with that right now. Oh yeah like at the hip at the hip. Yeah, yeah, at the hip. Kind and and and that's the type of shit where you look, you'd be like, that shit ain't right, especially look, nothing against it. Being remote is one thing, but when you notice that shit in the office, office you notice that shit in the office, you're like, this is bad.

SPEAKER_01 29:11

Like, this is bad. It's

Office Gossip Retreats And HR Chaos

SPEAKER_01 29:13

terrible.

SPEAKER_00 29:14

Yeah, you want to talk about you want to talk about shit getting around in the office? Do you know how fast gossip and stuff gets around in an office? You spend eight hours a day with these people.

SPEAKER_03 29:25

Look, if you don't like gossip or anything, this don't work in like a lot of different places, but like the most I've seen that happen at is like call center jobs. I don't know why. They're just like that, but like gossip in those places, oh, it's like wildfire.

SPEAKER_00 29:41

It is insane wildfire.

SPEAKER_03 29:44

I am crazy, and then you got everybody sleeping with everybody. It's a mess. Don't ever work in a call center if you can.

SPEAKER_00 29:52

Like, it's it's like it's like fucking college, man. It's insane. It's insane, it's crazy. Oh my goodness. And then oh, okay, then if you got if it really gets like crazy, what really gets crazy is when there are retreats, when there's travel involved, right?

SPEAKER_03 30:11

Or those little uh drinking outings and drinking outings?

SPEAKER_00 30:15

Like it's it's crazy. I've had I've I've been in a position, literally, um, where I was doing some shit and we got we got emails. So when when somebody leaves the company, they send their stuff back. Yeah, right. I get an email from I get an email from a person who who they let go. And this email's like, I'm gonna call my lawyer because when we were at this thing, somebody made a sexual like type of thing to me and like flash me. And I said, I went to my manager and I said, What am I supposed to do with this? And she was like, I'm gonna she was like, like she read it. She said she's like, okay, yeah, we're gonna send this uh somewhere else. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That that was my first time ever seeing that shit. And I was like, yo, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 31:06

I have I had a former manager of mine's, they went to a company like outing, yeah. And like I've seen this this manager before while I was like drinking downtown, and I was like, oh shit, why why? Yeah, but then like a couple months later, this happens, and so they go on this work retreat or whatever, and like they're drinking, but they get so drunk that they get naked and they're like running down the hallway and shit. And so, like, yeah, they just ended up having to buy that person. I was just like, okay, crazy, crazy.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

It that that is something that is insane to me. It's insane.

SPEAKER_03 31:43

I I and But then again, I don't know. It's just like when I went to my work trip, that's all they do is drink after work. I didn't like I like I tried, like I'll get like a drink or two, whatever, but this time everybody's like, yeah, come drink, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I went drinking with them, and it was like, well, this is what y'all do for real, for real. They were talking about like the tab, like one of the tabs they had, and like somebody had a compet, yeah, and they have like nicknames for a certain person when they get drunk.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

Yeah, it's it's I was like, they do that shit like for real, for real. I I you know what's crazy? You know how like this is pre-COVID, everyone, but pre-COVID, they would have like the Christmas parties and stuff like that. I never went to a damn one of those, never went to a damn one of those because I did not want to deal with that shit. Or like if it's an older company, they have like stupid banquets and all that crap. Oh my god. It it's crazy. It's like speaking of banquets, I was thinking about this. This is all topic.

Bowling Leagues And Why Plaques Suck

SPEAKER_00 32:44

So I bowl, like I used to bowl a lot in bowling leagues, right? And here I've realized what I what type of bowling leagues I like. I did a bowling league out in the country, and at the end of the year, you pay like a fee each week, and they have a banquet at the end. I don't want no damn banquet. Banquet? I don't want no damn banquet. If you bowl and you putting money in, nigga, I want money, right? So then I go to Durham and bowling the leagues in Durham. These niggas are playing for money. Like you play, like it's a pot. Like they take that money that you put in each week, and depending on your placing, that's how much you get. I can like by let's say it's a 32-week season, AMF bowling. Let's say I did two leagues, I can get out like maybe like five to six hundred bucks depending on the okay. Look at you. It's actually not bad, right? So I realize that bowling and like bigger city shit, that's the shit I like because it's competitive, motherfuckers talking, like honestly, it feels like a fucking family reunion. And I love that shit. I love motherfuckers like just talking, putting money up on the table. Like, I mean, seeing old people, like older, older people in that bitch, like bowling, striking, everything. Anyway, that's always that was always fun to me. No fucking banquet and at work. Yeah, right. Here's this plaque. You better believe I'm stepping out and I'm throwing that shit right in the trash. So, you know, I would I would ask these questions to just like just out

Red Flags Promotions And Manager Skills

SPEAKER_00 34:21

there. You know, all of us have had bad managers, right? We all had bad managers. I mean, we could possibly all say who was like our worst manager that we've had, right? I'm not gonna say that. So would you rather have I already know your answer, but would you rather have a manager that leaves you alone, or would you rather have the fuck alone?

SPEAKER_03 34:44

Leave me the fuck alone, please. Just leave me alone. Like when you need something done, that's when you hit me up and I got you, I'll get it done. But don't be mm-mm.

SPEAKER_00 34:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:54

No.

SPEAKER_00 34:57

Is the we're a family a big red flag to you?

SPEAKER_03 35:02

It's always a big red flag. It's like a red flag. And it's not necessarily like because when you hear that, usually it's one of those companies where like they're gonna call you in a day off, or like they're gonna ask a lot of you and ask you to stay over and all that kind of stuff when they just say it's like a family. But then again, you do have some like working dynamics where it's kind of feels like a family without calling it a family, you know what I mean? Like you guys look out for each other and and things of that nature. So, like, I guess if the manager's like, Oh yeah, we're a family, yeah, you might want to run. But if you get there and you're like, Oh, yeah, it kind of feels like a family. Like, if it's unsaid or unspoken, then okay, you might be okay.

SPEAKER_00 35:41

Yeah, should being good at your job automatically qualify you to manage?

SPEAKER_03 35:48

No, and that's that's the problem. Well, it's not even that's the problem, okay? It just depends, right? Because you have some people that know the job very well, but they have a shitty ass personality when it comes to people, and they're in like okay, whatever. But then you also on the other end of that, you have managers that don't even know how to do the job on the day to day or know what you're doing day to day or whatever. And so when you have a question, they're like, I don't know, like the huck, like, go find out. Like, I'll I'll find somebody that can help you, but I personally can't help you. Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:21

What's more important to you? What's more important in being a manager? Knowing the job or how to manage people? I would say both.

SPEAKER_03 36:29

I really would say both. Yeah, it really depends on where you work though, too. Like, yeah, I think us being in tech, we we kind of need that manager that knows what they're doing.

SPEAKER_04 36:39

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 36:39

Yeah. And then, like, you know, but we also need that person that can deal with a lot of different things. You gotta think, like most stereotype, but like most of us tech geeks and or nerds and who work in the tech world, like, we are some type of like, you know, because like I have my ADHD or whatever. And so you sometimes you kind of need that personal touch, and you need somebody who understands you. Like my manager, I have now, he definitely does understand like the things I have. Like, he knows I have ADHD, and like he he knows I have like cluster headaches sometimes, and so because he also has them, so he knows how I'm feeling when I have them and stuff like that. Like, he can relate he understands me, so I I don't have too many problems.

SPEAKER_01 37:21

Gotcha. What nothing? I was nothing. Something just came into the chat that's crazy.

Double Standards And Microaggressions

SPEAKER_03 37:27

Anyways, yes, I saw that, and it's not a shirt, by the way. It's actually like a one-piece thing. So, like, I had to go to the doctor today. Like, I had to see my doctor before she leaves. She's going to another place. Unfortunately, I can't go with her. So yeah, but like that that's why I have this on. I just didn't feel like changing clothes again. So I just like I'll keep it on to the podcast. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:49

And what do you think is the biggest double standard you've seen from a boss?

SPEAKER_03 37:55

I think the biggest double standard I have encountered is Neppo babytism.

SPEAKER_00 38:00

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 38:02

So, yeah, like when their relative works with you and they want you to do special things because you know it's their family type thing. And like, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:13

That's crazy. I would I would say being able to talk to anybody any way that you please, knowing that you have the backing of higher ups behind you. Because if you didn't have that, you would not be talking the shit at all. Or if I was in front of your face, you definitely wouldn't be saying this.

SPEAKER_03 38:31

So we're just not gonna talk about the microaggressions and uh that you know.

SPEAKER_00 38:35

Oh, yeah, that happens a lot. That happens a lot, that happens a lot, especially behind these screens. But when you when you go and you go to these retreats and you meet these people, no, they all all smiles. Happy, go lucky as fuck. La la la la la. Let's go drink. Motherfucker, what I don't fuck with you. Like, I don't like what's where was all that shit before? Where where was all that shit before that you were talking behind the screen? But I'm here, I'm here looking down at you. What's going on?

SPEAKER_03 39:10

Not even when I go into that.

SPEAKER_00 39:12

Or or yeah, it happens, or just ignore you completely. Like, oh, I see you. You don't even step up to say hi. It's finally good to meet you. That's that's a crazy double spander to me. Knowing that you you you can say whatever the fuck you want because you have the backing of higher ups behind you. And you think that because you're in this position, your job is like you're set in stone, but then you're so like oblivious to what's going on around you, you don't notice that people that you manage are leaving because of you. You're the reason why people are going and looking for other positions. You want to talk about like a per like a manager that doesn't that is oblivious and just scatter brain. You don't, you you're so just out there that you won't even come to the realization that you're the problem. That's the biggest shit. As a manager that works with people, you as a person can't reflect on your own self and say, shit, maybe it's fucking me. I don't know, but uh damn, this went on for longer than I thought. Nah, I did. This went on for longer than I thought.

SPEAKER_03 40:20

Someone had some pent of energy about their manager.

SPEAKER_00 40:23

We had a whole bunch of other stuff to talk about, but you know what? I don't even want to talk about that shit no more. I think this is gonna be great. Just because with everything going on right now, and I know people are frustrated, people are all over the place with work and all this

Surprise Graphics Cards At Walmart

SPEAKER_00 40:39

stuff. You know, I I guess one thing I I saw graphics cards in Walmart, right? I saw graphics cards.

SPEAKER_03 40:45

That's what he wanted to talk about. He saw that 50 series in Walmart and was blown away.

SPEAKER_00 40:50

Yeah, I was surprised to see him in there. But where where I am, I also don't think a lot of people are building PCs like that. Where I am. So I gotta go back there tomorrow. I'm gonna see if they're still there though.

SPEAKER_03 41:01

I'm gonna see because they were I think they were uh they were PY and I would suggest you go online and look and see how much that P and Y is going for online and compared to what you saw for at Walmart. I'm just saying, because like my gravit's cart when I got my 5090, it was literally like I think like close three grand or really maybe it was like I don't remember. It was like two, three. I don't I don't remember. Now it's like 4500 for that's a gravity card. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:28

Jesus Christ, that's insane. Yeah, I'll I'll check those again. If they're still there, we'll see. We shall see. But yeah, y'all.

Final Advice And Sign Off

SPEAKER_00 41:36

I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. You know, uh, if you do work in tech, if you're dealing with like a shit manager, apply to jobs every day. Jesus Christ. Just put your shit out there. Something will bite.

SPEAKER_03 41:49

If not, start upscaling, learning new skills.

SPEAKER_00 41:53

Yep, and or just look for something else within the company itself. Because you it might just be just that one manager, and you might just need to be with another manager that actually is better. So uh, yeah, thanks again, you guys, for listening and watching, and we will see you guys next time. Bye.