reflections

there was a time when i used to be so nervous about work, not because i didn't know that i was good at it, but because the guy who owned the business was into looking for faults in all of us who worked there.  he would take a harmless comment from a student and misconstrue it and turn it into a witch hunt.

it's hard to relax, when you're constantly worrying that you're going to get into trouble just because a student doesn't like you and complains about you to him.  i have spent time worrying about things that i shouldn't even be thinking about.

i used to wonder why the only other staff who had been working there before i joined the company had only been there for a year longer than me.  "what happened to the rest", i wondered.  i saw a long list of phone numbers belonging to staff who used to work there (and who have since left) on the wall of his office.  many on the list, didn't last more than 6 months.

since i joined that place, i had seen many come and go and yes, true to form, many didn't last more than 6 months.  now, i know for a fact that if many people come and go and can't stick around for even 6 months, it's not them, it's the school that's making it impossible for them to work.  

the owner of the business, who in the beginning came across as a nice guy, started growing fangs by the day.  there were a lot of fault finding but never any real staff development was offered (which is strange for the trade that i am in).

he also cheated the customers --- something that i wasn't comfortable with.  they would sign up for a 6 month program and in the fourth month, the owner would inform the customer that they couldn't deliver the program as promised due to lack of student numbers for that level.  he would then go on to offer then a lesser program.  the customer has no choice but to accept what is offered as they have paid the school 6 months in advance when they signed up with the school.  

programs have also been known to be terminated mid session due to lack in student numbers.  

the owner engages the services of instructors based on their sex factor (yes, you read it right) and not on their ability to guide and facilitate learning.  he says that this is what the customers want.  word has it that in the evenings, he takes the sexy ones out for "drinks" (keep in mind that the man in question is 50 years old and comes with a wife and two kids).

here are a few things about the owner:

1. he doesn't come to work before lunch.

2. even when that happens, he leaves around 2pm for lunch.

3. his lunches are normally very long (usually more than an hour long).

4. he makes his appointments wait for him (and we're talking HOURS here and not minutes).

5. he is indecisive.

6. because he is indecisive, when he does finally get around to making a decision, he does it last minute which complicates the work situation as the session is already in progress and the students are not told ahead of time about the "new" rules of the game.

7. he comes in to work late to avoid having to deal with the students' complaints.

8. he doesn't know anything about the trade that he is in.

9. he holds grudges (you don't want to step on his tail!!!)

10. he micro manages when he should be macro managing.

11. he believes in working the teachers to the ground.

12. he makes teachers go in to work on saturdays (not half day but full day!) even when it is clear that there is nothing for them to do.

13. he has a thing for sweet sexy young things.

14. he takes very long tea breaks.

15. he often makes promises to the students which he doesn't deliver (100 contact hours have been reduced to a mere 30 contact hours).

16. when the students sign up with the school, they are not given a copy of the contract that they signed.

17. he is quick to blame the teachers when the students complain about the quality of teaching (and not the non-existent teacher development programs offered by the school).

18. he has favourites, his pets, who can do no wrong.

19. he just luurvveesss gossip.

20. he says things (not nice things) about you behind your back.

21. his meetings drag on and on and on for hours (no kidding).

22. his meetings have no agenda (which explains why they drag on for hours).

23. when he calls for a meeting, he is NEVER on time.

24. sometimes, staff have to wait for HOURS for him to appear.