Thread: Observations of civvy st from an ex perspective

and being an ex serviceman now working for serving ones is so much better! Captains and warrant officers that spout text book crap, and are not at all adaptable, lest they bugger their chances of advancement. A number of us have been doing our jobs for a long time. 10 years in my case, then a new military manager arrives, for his 18 month stint and immediately knows everything so much better than the long service civvy. As for mission statements; we have them produced on an almost weekly basis here, all emanating from ambitious officers who believe that putting their random thoughts onto a poster will guarantee them a staff appointment.
As for managerial techniques; the phrase 'you will do it because I want it done' is very stimulating, and prompts one to give their all!

So, look around at others, and realise there are good managers, there are bad managers and there are those who manipulate their todgers!

Originally Posted by old_fat_and_hairy

and being an ex serviceman now working for serving ones is so much better! Captains and warrant officers that spout text book crap, and are not at all adaptable, lest they bugger their chances of advancement. A number of us have been doing our jobs for a long time. 10 years in my case, then a new military manager arrives, for his 18 month stint and immediately knows everything so much better than the long service civvy. As for mission statements; we have them produced on an almost weekly basis here, all emanating from ambitious officers who believe that putting their random thoughts onto a poster will guarantee them a staff appointment.
As for managerial techniques; the phrase 'you will do it because I want it done' is very stimulating, and prompts one to give their all!

So, look around at others, and realise there are good managers, there are bad managers and there are those who manipulate their todgers!

Short, accurate & to the point.

My pet peevs are:

Meetings where you waste 5 hours of your life, and everyone around the table decides to 'look into' the problem and then said problem just rolls over month after month with noting getting done.

Colleagues who give you information, quite well too in a nice short paragraph then carry on talking about it for 5 mins. I heard you the first time, you don't have to keep telling me. And for the love of God don't begin to follow me down the corridor continuing to speak about it!

Where one person objects to something on no reasonable grounds, such as what type of buffet food we'd have for a training day, simply because they don't like one thing on the menu, therefore reducing the rest of us to a manky buffet that they like. I hate the fact that so many people cannot think beyond their own needs rather than the teams!

I'm glad I'm off to work for my self soon! Only 38 days to push.

The absolute mediocrity of life in Civdiv is embarrassing. They allow themselves to get shafted at every turn because they're gutless and won't stand up for themselves. We seem prepared to accept second class services when we paid for first class one. Then when we question those services, we get told that you can't hassle these people because it's harassment and we'll get the law onto you....This is just a minor issue amongst nearly all our problems. We get the piss taken out of us by all and sundry. Our country deserves what it gets because we are the most bovine race and deserve no better. Until we become more militant in our outlook, then nothing will change...The French don't put up with any of the nonsense we do, and good luck to them for that attitude! BTW, i don't put up with it either and neither should you....Fcuking Civvies get it sorted!!

Originally Posted by TalaveraTom

The absolute mediocrity of life in Civdiv is embarrassing. They allow themselves to get shafted at every turn because they're gutless and won't stand up for themselves. We seem prepared to accept second class services when we paid for first class one. Then when we question those services, we get told that you can't hassle these people because it's harassment and we'll get the law onto you....This is just a minor issue amongst nearly all our problems. We get the piss taken out of us by all and sundry. Our country deserves what it gets because we are the most bovine race and deserve no better. Until we become more militant in our outlook, then nothing will change...The French don't put up with any of the nonsense we do, and good luck to them for that attitude! BTW, i don't put up with it either and neither should you....Fcuking Civvies get it sorted!!

So unlike the armed forces where one is free to tell any senior manager exactly what one thinks of him, the service that is provided by another unit, the supply chain and the very senior managers at the MoD. :P

Originally Posted by old_fat_and_hairy

Originally Posted by TalaveraTom

The absolute mediocrity of life in Civdiv is embarrassing. They allow themselves to get shafted at every turn because they're gutless and won't stand up for themselves. We seem prepared to accept second class services when we paid for first class one. Then when we question those services, we get told that you can't hassle these people because it's harassment and we'll get the law onto you....This is just a minor issue amongst nearly all our problems. We get the piss taken out of us by all and sundry. Our country deserves what it gets because we are the most bovine race and deserve no better. Until we become more militant in our outlook, then nothing will change...The French don't put up with any of the nonsense we do, and good luck to them for that attitude! BTW, i don't put up with it either and neither should you....Fcuking Civvies get it sorted!!

So unlike the armed forces where one is free to tell any senior manager exactly what one thinks of him, the service that is provided by another unit, the supply chain and the very senior managers at the MoD. :P

OFH...Are you being facetious? :D
The question was about civvy st and how we see it? Not about how we behaved in the Army. Besides when we joined we knew that we were giving up certain rights and so got on with our jobs, our expectations revolved around the unit operating efficiently...We don't have a choice about civvy st do we?? We therefore have the right to complain when needed...But not too loudly you undrstand! Ssshhh??

Originally Posted by TalaveraTom

Originally Posted by old_fat_and_hairy

Originally Posted by TalaveraTom

The absolute mediocrity of life in Civdiv is embarrassing. They allow themselves to get shafted at every turn because they're gutless and won't stand up for themselves. We seem prepared to accept second class services when we paid for first class one. Then when we question those services, we get told that you can't hassle these people because it's harassment and we'll get the law onto you....This is just a minor issue amongst nearly all our problems. We get the piss taken out of us by all and sundry. Our country deserves what it gets because we are the most bovine race and deserve no better. Until we become more militant in our outlook, then nothing will change...The French don't put up with any of the nonsense we do, and good luck to them for that attitude! BTW, i don't put up with it either and neither should you....Fcuking Civvies get it sorted!!

So unlike the armed forces where one is free to tell any senior manager exactly what one thinks of him, the service that is provided by another unit, the supply chain and the very senior managers at the MoD. :P

OFH...Are you being facetious? :D
The question was about civvy st and how we see it? Not about how we behaved in the Army. Besides when we joined we knew that we were giving up certain rights and so got on with our jobs, our expectations revolved around the unit operating efficiently...We don't have a choice about civvy st do we?? We therefore have the right to complain when needed...But not too loudly you undrstand! Ssshhh??

Facetious? Me? Perish the thought.

And, we have to write quietly too, lest the new National Socialist Party are reading our mail.

But I tend to agree with you about workers. I admit that here, most are ex service or dependents of, so not too bad. And the civilian managers are pretty ok. It's 't'others that grip my excretia.

Something that irritates me - squaddies who leave and start working in an office without coming to terms with the fact that they are no longer steely-eyed dealers of death, but just office workers, exactly like everyone else sitting nearby.

They make huge mileage banging on about team building skills on interview, and then when joining said team think it is clever to disrupt everything while mistakenly thinking they are in some way superior.

The days when you could respect yourself are over, mate. It is their environment, they created the tone, you volunteered to join so just blend in and accept the fact that you are one of them.

You are now a metrosexual, centrally heated, air-conditioned, rain protected, weak, soft handed nonce office worker - deal with it.

So for heavan's sake get out of there, and do a decent job. Put stuff up, knock stuff down, mend stuff, make stuff, cut stuff up, dig a hole or milk a cow, just do something useful and satisfying that has a vestige of human dignity to it.

Otherwise you WILL morph into the fat cow sitting opposite or her mincing homosexual pal. It may already be too late.

Originally Posted by Micawber

Something that irritates me - squaddies who leave and start working in an office without coming to terms with the fact that they are no longer steely-eyed dealers of death, but just office workers, exactly like everyone else sitting nearby.

They make huge mileage banging on about team building skills on interview, and then when joining said team think it is clever to disrupt everything while mistakenly thinking they are in some way superior.

The days when you could respect yourself are over, mate. It is their environment, they created the tone, you volunteered to join so just blend in and accept the fact that you are one of them.

You are now a metrosexual, centrally heated, air-conditioned, rain protected, weak, soft handed nonce office worker - deal with it.

So for heavan's sake get out of there, and do a decent job. Put stuff up, knock stuff down, mend stuff, make stuff, cut stuff up, dig a hole or milk a cow, just do something useful and satisfying that has a vestige of human dignity to it.

Otherwise you WILL morph into the fat cow sitting opposite or her mincing homosexual pal. It may already be too late.

WAH!

Since demob end of 92, I've worked for myself abroad apart from a short spell in UK to get my kids settled.

I worked for two different places on returning to UK (which seemed like a foreign country to me anyway!) and yes the managers were an endless source of amusement for me.

I found the best way to deal them is to blow out of all proportion any and every mistake they made, at every opportunity (plus the usual additions to their beverages).

Needless to say I didn't get past the three months probation on either occasion oh but I had fun. superglued locks, snapped off water cocks and keys in door locks, the works.

My dear brother, revenge surely is sweet and so is the recollection of how some of the w@nkers got stitched up. It was the only way I could deal with the scum and if you're still in the system and going through sh!t I can thoroughly recommend the above strategy.

These days I'm back in the chair, kids settled in UK and happily working for myself over here in the sunshine and life is sweet.

Being a civvy myself but with a father and uncle of ex-navy and ex-army, I'm pretty surprised you're down on us civvies.

You say "Civvies have never been trained or tested in any meaningful way....and that is why they often suck so badly at their jobs."

Is that so? Well shall I just rip my fcuking degree that I earned in '96 (when exams were hard) up then? And my diploma I got before that? Shall I just hang my head in shame?

Grow up.

I could say that there's a lot of dumb fcuk ex-squaddies I worked with on building sites in 1992 who don't have a braincell to share between them, but I wouldn't generalise, so why should you? They might have been great at following orders and making tea but asking the fcukers to mix cement... ha, the 2:1 obviously was too much.

Oh and the first fud who gives me the "we were on the streets of XYZ defending your country while you were doing your degree" - I applied for a role in the army, surpassed the initial tests, and was refused entry by a Major who thought he was more clever than I am. Guess he didn't like the look of my face, I never found out why I was refused. So don't patronise me.

I respect army boys - I work with a couple in my office - but I wouldn't respect snides who look down on me just because they've served.

Originally Posted by FatFifer

Being a civvy myself but with a father and uncle of ex-navy and ex-army, I'm pretty surprised you're down on us civvies.

You say "Civvies have never been trained or tested in any meaningful way....and that is why they often suck so badly at their jobs."

Is that so? Well shall I just rip my fcuking degree that I earned in '96 (when exams were hard) up then? And my diploma I got before that? Shall I just hang my head in shame?

Grow up.

I could say that there's a lot of dumb fcuk ex-squaddies I worked with on building sites in 1992 who don't have a braincell to share between them, but I wouldn't generalise, so why should you? They might have been great at following orders and making tea but asking the fcukers to mix cement... ha, the 2:1 obviously was too much.

degree's are ten a penny mate...anyone can get one of them. Just because you was too weak to leave school and wanted to stay in the warm comfort of your classroom instead of getting yourself tested in the real world, dont come on here gobbing off thinking your speshul. Doesnt make you good at your job either, just another gobshiit who thinks he knows everything, when clearly you dont as you only achieved a 2:1.....now get back to your blue sky thinking and setting performance criteria

Originally Posted by WarpSpasm

We analyse the situation, identify options and pick the best course, then follow through.

Which is something civvies never do........















....no matter how much they've had to drink!

Originally Posted by drain_sniffer

Originally Posted by FatFifer

Being a civvy myself but with a father and uncle of ex-navy and ex-army, I'm pretty surprised you're down on us civvies.

You say "Civvies have never been trained or tested in any meaningful way....and that is why they often suck so badly at their jobs."

Is that so? Well shall I just rip my fcuking degree that I earned in '96 (when exams were hard) up then? And my diploma I got before that? Shall I just hang my head in shame?

Grow up.

I could say that there's a lot of dumb fcuk ex-squaddies I worked with on building sites in 1992 who don't have a braincell to share between them, but I wouldn't generalise, so why should you? They might have been great at following orders and making tea but asking the fcukers to mix cement... ha, the 2:1 obviously was too much.

degree's are ten a penny mate...anyone can get one of them. Just because you was too weak to leave school and wanted to stay in the warm comfort of your classroom instead of getting yourself tested in the real world, dont come on here gobbing off thinking your speshul. Doesnt make you good at your job either, just another gobshiit who thinks he knows everything, when clearly you dont as you only achieved a 2:1.....now get back to your blue sky thinking and setting performance criteria

Now I really don't know, but I suspect that the 2:1 was a reference to the mix of sand and cement. But I'm happy to be put right.