that really sucks! my two cents: your boss is making everyone kiss the foreign team’s ass. just because some team from out of town is coming in, everyone has to stop what they are doing to make sure they are comfortable. it’s india, not libya! i’m sure people from abroad can get around just fine.

Preety…. good thoughts and I agree! thing is that it’s a team from our own company and this team is from an asia-pac country…. so I think it’s more about bad scheduling, lack of communication and not giving a @(#&@#() about anyone’s personal time. He wants us at office to attend meetings, not show these ppl around the city. I doubt this trip was scheduled yesterday, so it’s a double-whammy of total disrespect.

I just laughed out aloud when I read - “It’s India, not Libya”.

Mis-communiation is a curse that even the most successful companies seem to suffer from, here in B’lore.
Not one organization i’ve dealt with (an i’ve dealt with many) seemed to have a well-oiled system in place. God know how they manage to make profits, build a brand image etc. It’s a miracle really…

Raj… I thought that was a good one, too. Hee!

Thinktank…. um, isn’t there is difference between miscommunication and lack of it? @#(&@)#(*@)#(*) !!!!
but yes, you’re on to something. For me it’s really about the lack of respect, though. I am angry and feel taken advantage of. When HR posts a holiday schedule, unless it’s an emergency, shouldn’t they honor it?!?!?!?

I really think your boss needs a talking to. There’s safety in numbers, so I think all of you should get together and let him know that you feel exploited and disrespected.
The more you let this simmer, the worse you will feel.
Wait until this blows over and let him (or even better, his superior) know that non-negotiability amounts to autocracy, and that is never desirable in a company.

Hey there…

You are right in raising this issue and on the face of it you seem unconvinced about having to be there on that day I agree with you, esp. since I understand that there’s no other info. provided, esp. about the reason.

It would make it easier to understand and perhaps the team would gain from the interactions with the visiting team. It’s not always bad. That is assuming you have been given a backgrounder/ reason (hoping it’s the case).

Am not sure if it’s just a “presence” needed from you/ team; as in a show of strength. You could point out that this in itself could be ineffective and suggest ways to make such interactions fruitful.

It would help to ask if there were any contributions/ support expected from those that have been asked to come in. Or you could indicate your inability to attend but would be happy to provide remote support.

Your “nonchalant mail request” observation could be the decider. You know best.

Cheers!
Roy

sorry it took me so long to get back…. was busy… SLOGGING!

Bikerdude…. what I have found is this. my coworkers agree with me in theory but they are all too afraid to confront the boss. there are only about 25 of us, and this guy has a real temper. so while no one is happy, they also will not say a thing about it. BTW, there is no superior. The paise stops with this (angry) guy.

Roy.. I understand what you mean. point is, people don’t just “show up” from overseas, right? the trip is planned usually weeks in advance, esp when it involves an entire team. So we were not informed until 4 days prior, AND were told just then to cancel all holiday plans. If we had been told in advance with proper understanding some of us would not made the plans in the first place. BTW “inability” to be there was not an option. It is, apparently, a dictatorship

it seems a tad unfair. i would be quite sheepish asking people to do the same but if it has to be done than it has to be done. i work about 6 and half days a week, expect the guys to do so too.

and i go out of my way to make their problems mine. so i think its a fair trade.

also depends on the nature of business you are in. in mine the people are used to crazy working hours…

But I think there has to be some work/life balance. I can work 5 or maybe 6 days a week and give 90-100% . But my days stretch to 11-14 hours, and weeks are now 6-7 days. that means at any given time I am working at 50% and sometimes less. I need time to myself to recharge. I need motivation (which does not come in the form of a disrespectful boss who screams at staff and never gives positive reinforcement). I need sleep. I need time with my husband. I need some understanding that just because I am pregnant and might need more time off doesn’t make me NOT a team player or handicapped.

I think you can expect ppl to work hard. You cannot expect to enlist them into indentured servitude and expect they will 1) like it 2) stay

Agree a 100%….Work should just enable us to lead a Life, not that work becomes our life… (unless work for you is is a form of art where it is OK that your work is your life)…

People need time off from work, to enable them to work better…

The thing we don’t seem to consider before getting so servile is that if we were to end up with an client in their country, would they sacrifice their Christmas/New Year holidays…No way…