Strange problem at work....

pixelation

Do they actually have a lot of work that just isn't coming to you?
Perhaps they are pretending to be really busy?
Sounds like time to develop your career. Online courses may be the way forward.
Pix

Fupps

ceebeeby wrote: »

Have worn a similar t-shirt in the past. I coped by:

- writing my memoirs (!!!)
- doing an online course
- doing an evening course and doing homework during work hours (I know!!!)
- inventing work in the office (cleaning out cupboards etc. / rationalising tea-bags)
- applying for every new job that came up
- harrassing manager for more work
- learning how to juggle in the loo's! Okay, that one is made up, but the rest are true!

You're right, it's soul destroying - and only you can get yourself out of it by being proactive!!!

How did you manage that :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

(sorry, but it did make me smile in my hour of grimness!)

Ladyhawk

Hi OP - a fellow Buyer here... and I can empathise totally. When I first started my current job I was really badly managed which meant that I had absolutely nothing to do. I was bored out of my mind and continually badgered the other buyers to see what they needed help with. This all changed about 8 months in when they gave me shedloads of responsibilty and my feet haven't touched the ground since! Where about in the country do you live? (very roughly obviously - I'm not looking for your street address!!).

Could you do something like review their policies and procedures?
Make sure that all the contracts are up to date?
Create a contract tracker to ensure that you know which ones are coming up for renewal?
See how they could embed sustainability into their procurement decisions?
Have you done your CIPS training?
How about implementing a supplier diversity policy?
And my old favourite - "I have to go and visit my suppliers to better understand the supply chain" - while this is very valuable in it's self, if also allows you to escape the office for a whole day usually!

I truly feel for you - it makes the day drag... last resort I could outsource some of my work to you!!! Sadly I don't have a budget but at least you woould have something to do!! There was a buyer a few years ago that was bust outsourcing his workload to india and he spent most of the work week on holiday!

Good luck!

Oldernotwiser

Could you not look around you and find an area of work or research you could take on as a project? You could put together a proposal of how this would benefit the company and then present it to the appropriate person. You could find that it's accepted and will give you an opportunity to prove your worth but at least it will keep you occupied in the short term.

Gemmy_2

I too have this problem.

I end up bringing paperwork from home and OH's business to do
I clear out lots of things at work from boredom also
and my phone has the internet on - so i go on here.
and as the poster above me has said - i take on projects of my own.. which is usually researching the competiter

katebl

Hi OP,

I know how you feel, I'm also the youngest in my office, and the days used to draaaaag... I study for my distance learning course when I'm bored and also work have funded me an NVQ so that takes up a few minutes each month (!), but I did say to my manager in my last appraisal that I felt I wasn't pulling my weight... Ladyhawk had some good ideas in their post, along those lines I made up a few tasks (daily spreadsheets etc.) that would help the office run more efficiently and managed to nick some of my manager's work - hang in there and use your imagination!!

londoner1998

missgiggles2008 wrote: »

Ceebeeby you are totally right, it can only be up to me to change this situation. The trouble is, it is pretty much the only employer that pays so well in this area, so without moving to a different part of the country,which is not possible, I have no choice but to stay put. I am on a structured career path where I work and meant to be in a training role so still too early to apply for the next band up. I get day release for college and do college work in work - but the modules arent all the time. Thank you for your ideas, really interesting! How/why did you leave? did you get so fed up you got a different job?

Oh, I feel for you... I have been there several times and it is soul-destroying... but there is hope- I totally subscribe to Ladyhawk's advice- offer your help to your boss and colleagues, but is that doesn't bring more work towards your direction, just use your initative- file contracts, tidy up the office, come up with ideas to make procedures more effective, or go and see people to 'find out what you do and understand how we can work together better'. This will bring you contacts that can be very useful in the future. I was in your situation and six months ago a re-structurisation in my department meant that a nasty colleague I had several clashes with became my line manager. Needless to say, very quickly she made sure I was never idle (or relaxed), and it was a very stressful time... but it gave me the chance to be more motivated and to use initiative... it was stupid , I was doing three people's work and became very much a PA and dogsbody with incredible technical and operational knowledge that was going wasted... in the quieter times I started calling people, finding out about opportunities going within the company and putting in application forms...making myself available to my boss when she was burdened with work (and pregnant ) got me brownie points. Last month I got a call and I have now moved to a job that seems almost made to measure for me- it is three weeks in and sometimes there is not enough work to fill the day, but I am taking it as it comes and watching how other people work, going to see them and generally getting the feel for the job...I know it will not be quiet forever!

lynnemcf

I've been in the same predicament as you ... I did all my work for that day then went round everyone else in the office asking if I could help with their stuff. Boss wasnt very happy when he found me packing face masks for the paint spraying department, but couldnt give me anything else to do so I kept on with the packing. I'd found the job thru an agency so I got in touch with them to find me another job but my boss gave me a pay rise when I said I was leaving ... it was all very bizarre. I never had enough work to do, was very happy to hand in my notice when I moved out of the area.

ciderwithrosie_2

missgiggles2008 wrote: »

My manager isn't very good at communicating or handing work down. It feels awkward talking to my manager and he is aware I have no work or very little. If I go above him I will get myself a bad name.It is difficult because I cannot afford to change jobs or leave but I really want to be so much more busier!
Anybody relate to this? I try and write lists at the start of the day of things i can do but i soon do everything! It is really getting me down, I am meant to be on a training programme and they keep delaying it...that is the only thing that's keeping me going.

Do you not have a yearly/bi yearly appraisal process? If not, then I would really be questioning the company you work for. At your appraisal you get a chance to put over your objectives for the year - training programmes, projects etc and your manager should be suggesting ways in which you can achieve those and supporting/working with you.

I have every sympathy, I know most of us moan about being too busy, but I'd rather that than sit there twiddling my thumbs for most of the day.

I watched a little film about motivation the other day and it's been proved that people work best when they think they're being paid the right amount for what they do, too little and resentment builds, too much and people become less productive.

They might pay well but maybe you'd be happier being busier and more valued for a bit less money

regards CWR

ukjoel

This is a common problem in a lot of job.
Many industries are seasonal and some days or whole months are dead and others are crazy.

Companies know this and many department heads worry like hell that if they let someone go they will never get the funding to refill that position when required so they let it go.

Yes its wasteful but its life. Its not helped by the fact many managers measure their sucess by their staff headcount. I have worked for people in the past who insisted all their team worked in the office daily so his dept would look the biggest. Other managers let their team work from home 2 days a week and hotdeskto make efficency savings.

In terms of what you can do it can go two ways.
First you could figure out what those around you do and think ahead.
Update monthly reports weekly - track trends, monitor competitors, send a daily market update email out etc.

I would be vary wary of doing to much or volunteering for anything cos you will get deluged with lousy jobs and then once you have them they will expect you to do them.

Revisit your job description - Are you actually doing everything they listed.

Alternatively - internet, internet, internet. Used to work at a large blue chip company where an hours work a day was the norm. The rest of the time was killed with emails, irrelevant meetings, coffee, tea, and internet.

I had one colleague who was locked in a server room for 8 hours a day - ultra secure facility -turnstyle bulletproof door, all underground etc. 4 of them covered it on a 24 hour basis and only one ever allowed in at a time.

Prior to his arrival the system crashed regularly. He fixed the bug (it was a very basic virus) and system stopped crashing. Problem was they had nothing to do but the bods in the boardroom still insisted they were there 24/7 as the 300k a year they cost was nothing compared to any system downtime.

So he was locked in a room alone for 8 hours a day with nothing to do. He learnt 3 languages to A level standard inside a year. Rest of the time was spent looking at !!!!!!...................