62 Comments
User's avatar
Esther Ramsey's avatar

Being married to a Delta, it would never even occur to him to tell ME a story like this, let alone wax eloquent on the Internet about it.

Abcdefg's avatar

> Team pulled an all-nighter to deliver.

> But its getting to a point where everyone is suffering needlessly

So the gamma is annoying to deal with AND doesn't protect the team.

If the boss is being unreasonable and it's a common occurrence then let the project fail.

Of course you will be held accountable and judged but that's the price you pay to be a leader.

Jeremy Zuzek's avatar

This is a fireable statement.

Jeremy Zuzek's avatar

Why is he saying this to his bosses sup? The hones is on you to ask once clarifications before starting and then execute. Disrespectful talking about the boss who seems to be giving creative freedom then coming in w directional feedback once a draft is published because he's what? To scared to ask for clarification ? Not asking relevant pointed questions?

deti's avatar
4hEdited

gamma tells:

1) Verbosity

2) Not only the need to ask questions, but the need to explain why he's asking questions

I often have to tell direct reports this: sometimes I just need you to do what I tell you to do. Nothing less. Nothing more. You don't need to ask. You don't need to explain. You don't need to know anything other than what I've told you to do and when I need it done.

Christian Scheuer's avatar

A friend of mine owns a business that is almost entirely comprised by women and some lambdas. It's a beauty store that he inherited, not something he wanted to do but it is what their parents left to him. It makes money, but the drama between employees is catching up to him and every time we go out for a beer he has a lot to vent about it.

Is there any advice the Dark Lord could spare that I could help my friend with?

AnonReader's avatar

Get rid of all the lambdas, they have no place in a beauty store unless you want your female customers to look like drag queens. Replace the hormonal women with post-menopausal grandmas to decrease the drama, but I have no idea how this will impact sales.

BodrevBodrev's avatar

If you think post menopausal babushkas are going to decrease drama, you've got another thing coming. Drama is all they have left. Really the only difference is that when the circle jerks form they aren't going to be in the bimbo one. But frankly a bimbo sorority is easier to handle than a babushka hell of misery, despair and weird watercooler talk about joint pains. The good ones are looking after grandkids.

Christian Scheuer's avatar

Why isn’t the diagnosis Delta?

I think a Delta would most likely err to the other side. He would just start to do what he was told, or what he understood of it, and not ask questions even if it was a necessary one.

Ben Cook's avatar
5hEdited

"I was told I am responsible" by someone above him in the hierarchy leaps out of the screen at me. Who honestly thinks like this? When a boss tells you that you're the one responsible, that should be internalized as "I am responsible" instead of what he wrote. If he is the one responsible, and there is information he needs to responsibly complete the task, he is responsible for getting that information. The Delta wouldn't think about it. "I need this information. Now I will ask for it. *asks* Now I have it. Let's get it done."

Eugenius Bear's avatar

If you can't tell whether the person responding is male or female, you're probably dealing with a gamma?

Jeff's avatar

I'm finding if I can't get pass the 2nd sentence it's a gamma. I can read some of the female novels posted here fine. Gamma, 3 lines and I find my brain tuning out.

BodrevBodrev's avatar

Hey I read Rothfuss just fine. It's pretty good as long as you go into it with the idea you are reading the Spaceballs of fantasy.

JT's avatar
6hEdited

My delta tendencies invoke a strong sense to “quit bitching, shut the fuck up and do the job” with this guy. So therefore not delta.

Faith in God's avatar

My Omega tendencies are, "Oh, okay. So that's what you want now? That's fair. Do you know where my stapler is? I'll get started after I find it. No. I know the task is important that's why I need the stapler."

bammin's avatar

He went over the head of his direct boss. That is a Gamma tell and I believe something a Delta would be unlikely to do.

kevin walker's avatar

What is he practically supposed to do? He will always be gamma. I think he's trying to get a productive result from his work. That's not enough. He means well but can't help himself. He has to find another job.

Eileen's avatar

I think the clear difference between gamma and delta is responsibility. My husband‘s old boss had a pattern of asking for one thing, my husband would tell the client and get it done, and the boss would ask for the exact opposite.

Apparently the guy after him told everyone this kept happening because of their boss. He was surprised someone would undercut the boss like that. It was like it couldn’t compute. Whatever task even if it was the opposite, he always did it, well ahead of the deadline.

Vox Day's avatar

Do as best he can with what he's told. Any failure from a lack of instructions is on his boss. But the likelihood is that he can figure out what is needed from him, he just doesn't feel that it's his job to do so.

Green Mojave's avatar

His entire conversation reeked of insecurity and whining with hint of insubordination. Didn’t waste time identifying the specific items.

Neejo's avatar

One of the gayest things gammas do is vent about these things to people who have nothing to do with it, or who have nothing relevant to infer from it. It's just fishing for validation. It's so juvenile.

Green Mojave's avatar

If the recipient is female this immediately triggers her ‘Ick’ response.

Neejo's avatar

If the recipient is male this immediately triggers his ''this guy's a faggot'' response.

Balkan Yankee's avatar

The gamma is talking to himself, trying to convince himself he's in the right, using others as stand-ins for himself.

J Scott's avatar

Confidence that he is right would be strong declarative statements.

Instead he does the same thing he does to his boss, to you. Lots of questions. Long suffering questions.

Also self reference.

Going around your bosses back to another manager is also a warning.

Adam's avatar

In most fields, that level of workload isn’t permanent. Handling it with skill and good attitude invariably leads to promotion or a better offer elsewhere. Those who view it as a burden rather than an opportunity are the ones that are stuck in misery.

Codex redux's avatar

Porque no los dos?

Joking aside, one should pay attention to both the opportunities and costs of a challenge, as well as one's own capacity. Be grateful and eschew pride: burnout bites.