Another One Bites the Dust

I've complained about my job here before, b/c I don't find I have much of a challenge, or very much interesting work to do. And that's still true. Yes, it's a co-op job, so I'm here moreso to learn, but I wish I was doing some better work to learn from.

However, I am learning. I work with a lot of engineers, so while it's a laid-back environment (ie no dress code, other than the PPE (personal protective equipment) required out in the plant), it's still a professional workplace. So maybe the lessons I'm learning are more important - the ones they don't teach you in school.

I've been seeing a lot on how to interact with others in a work environment. To get things done, to help each other out. I'm in Operations, with all the engineers who basically run the plant, but they all specialize in one area (ie heaters, compressors, etc) since the plant is so big. And they run their area to optimize the plant, but if they change things in their area, it might affect other areas. So I see how they have to be, that the engineers have to be able to communicate & work with not only each other, but the operators, foremen, etc.

As well, I've noticed that these engineers are always super-busy with meetings & so many projects on the go. As well, Gerry, who I worked with last term, always seemed to have a few meetings every day - I had no idea how anyone got any work done! So I asked Amy last week when we had a meeting, how they get everything done, and she's just like "We can't do everything, so you prioritize and figure out what's most important, or what will help the most." It's an interesting lesson, and I would think it'd be overwhelming, but everyone seems to deal with it.

I guess what makes me bring this up today is that one of the engineers on our floor got fired today. Mainly for attitude problems, and he didn't get along with everyone. Also he never seemed to give a shit, and didn't get any work done. I guess they did a performance evaluation on him back in July or August, which should have given him a warning to get his act together, but it clearly didn't. We went out for lunch after he left (lunch was planned...not as a result of celebration :P) and the other guys were talking that he just seemed to want to test the company to see how far they'd go. It takes a lot for a company to fire a full-timer, as they have to get a whole lot of documentation & reason behind it, so it was a real eye-opener to see it happen.